Spiraling Downward
by sr21
Summary: What do you do when the newest evil is nothing more than the oldest evil? Jason and Kimberly return to Tommy with a message from the others: They must fight again. The journey that follows is angst ridden and tragic, but what other choice do they have?
1. Chapter 1

PG 13—Some Swearing and Sexual References

Kimberly/Tommy; Jason/Kat: Recognizing their destinies are still found within the realm of the Power Rangers, Kimberly and Jason try to fulfill a prophecy and save the world, resulting in some unexpected reunions.

Disclaimer: They're not mine.

**Spiraling Downward Chapter 1: Of Explosives and Reunions**

Hitting the water brought an unexpected chill, and Kimberly kicked furiously to the surface, coughing up a lungful of sea water.

"Jason," she said, treading furiously. "This is the last time I listen to your _stupid_ vacation ideas."

Jason wiped sea water out of his eyes, staring up at where the gigantic stone castle once stood. "This is bad," He panted. "Are you okay?"

"Aside from almost being blown to tiny little Kimber bits? I'm fan-freaking-tastic."

"I'm sorry! I didn't realize _they_ realized we were there!"

"Jason!" Kimberly semi-snapped, shooting him a disdainful look. "When, in your limitless experience in evil fighting have they ever _not_ known we were there?"

Jason fell silent.

"That's what I thought." She huffed. "Now what are we going to do?"

"Do you still have the stones?"

"They slipped out of my grasp as I was plummeting to my seemingly eminent death."

"_You let them go?"_

"Don't snap at me! I dropped them when I hit the water."

Jason sighed. "Great, now you're going to have to go down and get them."

Kimberly's jaw dropped, then snapped shut when she got a mouth full of sea water. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"_You_ dropped them. Therefore, _you_ are going down to get them!"

"Yes, but because _you_ are the one who lacks subtlety and got us discovered in the first place—"

"Kimberly, please be serious. You're a better swimmer than—"

"It's pitch black! And besides, we don't even know how deep the water is!"

"You can use my underwater light!"

Kimberly shot him a withering glare. "You brought an underwater light? Who are you, MacGuyver?"

"Do you want it or not? You are a better swimmer and you can hold your breath for longer, as you so proved in that heated contest back in the day."

"_We were ten—"_

"And the gloating I was forced to bear has left mental scars that will not go away. Happy diving."  
Kimberly snatched the light from his hand. "If we survive this, I'm so kicking your ass."

"Less talking, more swimming."

Kimberly suppressed the urge to punch him, and instead, drew in a deep breath, and submerged herself into the murky black ocean. She strained to keep her eyes open against the stinging sea water and kicked as hard as she could, exhaling her breath in a steady stream of bubbles that hurried towards the surface, occasionally equalizing the pressure in her ears.

She swept the light back and forth towards what she assumed was the bottom. It was only about fifteen feet down, a lucky coincidence. Even better, she noticed, was its sandy bottom.

Now, to find the stones.

She swept the light around in circles now, ignoring the sting in her lungs. They couldn't have gone far—they were very heavy and would have sunk almost in a direct path from Kimberly's former position on the surface.

Suddenly, the flash light caught a blue glimmer. She swam furiously, the burn in her lungs increasing.

Yes, they were there. The blue, the yellow, the black, and the red. Now, to only find the remaining two—she needed the green and the pink.

She made it to the surface in two strong kicks, choking and gasping for air. "I found three of them. The other two can't be far behind." Then, taking a deep breath, she dove again, kicking furiously back to the point where she had just ascended from.

_It's this point where you really miss the scuba tanks._ She thought wistfully, ignoring the burn that was starting to build up again. Where were those two damn stones?

Her tiny frame cut through the water effortlessly, her body strong from years of training. They couldn't be too much further.

And then, by sheer chance, she caught a glimpse of a green sparkle, almost completely hidden by the gothic looking coral. Swimming as quickly as she could, she discovered the pink one lay directly beside it.

_Gotcha! _She thought, victoriously scooping them up.

Then, she felt the jolt.

The two stones had connected with something within her and sent an intense pulse of energy, a flash of pink and green, into the depths of the sea. For a second, Kimberly could see everything around her.

_It's a shrine!_ She thought, her blood turning cold against the mild waters of the Caribbean. _To all the Power Rangers!_

She had dove into a sinkhole, engulfed by a stone wall that was completely occupied with symbols she could not recognize. There was, however, the small matter of the portraits that were etched on the walls, next to these symbols—her face, Jason's, Trini's, Billy's, Zach's.

And _his. _

Kimberly had done her best to avoid thinking about all things having to do with Tommy, especially since he had told her in no uncertain terms that her treatment of him was unacceptable and he couldn't be her friend, not after all that had happened. And yet, here he was, the focal point of this makeshift temple, a King amongst a court of infamous soldiers.

The flesh of Kimberly's arms shivered, and she swam like her life depended on it to the surface.

"Are you alright?" Jason said frantically, swimming towards her. "There was this flash, and I thought something might have—Kim? Are you alright? Answer me?"

"Something happened that's really weird—" Kimberly began, interrupted as a strong light temporarily blinded her.

"'Alo?" A voice called from the distance. "Is dat someone in da water?"

"Over here!" Jason called, raising his arms over his head and doing his best to propel his torso out of the water by kicking his legs. "We need help!"

"I'm on my way!" A man's voice, with a crisp Jamaican accent rang out. "Stay where you are!"

"Keep the stones hidden!" Kimberly said, a strange instinct kicking in. "Tell them we sent off a flair. They can't suspect we were up to anything!"

Jason looked at her carefully, then nodded, and turned his attention to the approaching boat. "It was lucky they came along," He muttered. "We would have floated out here all night. There's no way we would have made it."

Kimberly was silent for a minute. "We get lucky a lot," she said. "Have you ever noticed that?"

Jason did not answer, for at this point, the boat was pulling near them.

- - - -

"Dr. O, I don't understand why you called us here. Our powers are done, we used them up in the last battle, remember?"

"Finito!" Ethan added helpfully, for once in complete agreement with his friend Conner. "Vanished—"

"Before we start a rousing rendition of the synonym game, let's listen to Tommy's reasoning." Hayley gently reminded, then retreated back to her thoughts. Tommy had come to her earlier that day and explained how his sensors had suddenly gone off the charts, mentioning huge eruptions in the Caribbean's. There was also, he had told her, a huge disturbance in the seismic energy of surrounding areas, something his experience had taught him to be a bad thing.

"Something is happening," He told his former students, looking around. "I know you all have futures you want to attend to. I understand that. But the computers are picking something up, something bigger than anything we've dealt with. We have a responsibility, as the few humans who actually know what's going on with the earth, to try to get to the bottom of this, to figure out what's going on."

Kira sighed, tugging on the bottom of the shirt and decidedly avoiding the penetrating look of Trent who was staring at her expectantly. "How are we supposed to figure out something that happened in the Caribbean's, Dr. O? I highly doubt you are prepared to take us on a full paid field trip."

Ethan's eyes brightened. "But, I mean, if that's what you're suggesting, who are we to say no?"

Tommy looked slightly uncomfortable at this, but pressed on. "I'm saying, there might be some vestige of our powers still left within us. We have to focus on honing those skills, trying to fight again. Of course, I'm not suggesting you'll be able to regain your specific dino thunder power, but you might have retained some of your strength or fighting knowledge—"

"Dr. O?" Conner began carefully. "Are you sure this isn't about something else?"

"No, of course—wait, like what?" Conner gulped, and then continued.

"I'm not judging," he began. "And I'm certainly not implying that you're in some way, well, addicted to fighting, but…well…maybe you've been a part of this world, this hellish, horrific world that you can't separate yourself from it. You're a warrior, Dr. Oliver. That much is clear from your history. But, maybe, just maybe, your destiny isn't found in war anymore."

Tommy's eyes hardened and his throat tightened. "I appreciate your concern, Conner. But I assure, you, that isn't it."

"Dr. O," Trent said, gently. "We're not saying we're not grateful for all that you've accomplished—"

"Of course not!" Ethan jumped in. "But maybe this time it isn't up to us to get to the bottom of this evil power. Maybe this time, it just isn't our fight."

Tommy did not respond. He was willing to concede to them that he had gone above and beyond his call of duty to save the world. However, this was his instincts. And he had learned a long time ago that trusting his instincts could mean saving his life, as well as the ones of those around him.

He had to find a way to convince them.

- - - - -

"Jason! I'm telling you, we need to go back there!" Kimberly hissed, as Jason pushed her on the small charter plane she hated so much. "I saw something under the water! Our faces. It was like, a temple, or something—"

"Kimberly, just trust me. If we go back there right now, we'd be putting our life in danger. You saw what happened to the castle that kook built—"

"But what if the prophecies were misunderstood? What if the vessel to the power wasn't the castle? What if it was the temple-thing?"

"Then it's even more important we don't draw attention to it, isn't it?" Jason said, giving her a stern look. "Besides, the prophecy said we would retrieve the stones from the castle. That had to have been it."

Kimberly sighed, the battle pointless. Jason was right—returning to the temple was going to lead their enemies directly to it. They had to follow the crystals, seek out this inner chamber the prophecy had told them about. Then, when they thought it was safe, they would return to the chamber.

"Get on the plane, Kim." He told her gently. "Trini has been researching this for weeks. She claims this inner chamber, this lair is in Reefside."

"Reefside? Where's that?"

"About an hour outside Angel Grove. Beautiful place. I…uh…visited there, not too long ago."

"Really? How come?"

Jason paused, silently waging a war between telling the truth and putting Kimberly in an even worst mood, or telling a small lie to one of his closest friends. "The beaches," he finally lied. "They're gorgeous."

"Oh…cool."

"You know, on the surface, this job sounds pretty glamorous." Kimberly said, picking a thorn out of her hair as she trekked through the woods. "They get your interest at the beginning by giving you these cool suits, and power coins, and these lovely Zords that are really like big pets. Then, before you know it, you're signed up for the lifetime membership, which, among other things, includes getting blasted off a cliff by a Class 4 explosive, thrown into dark waters where you're forced to snorkel (sans mask and, well, snorkel) for lost relics of an ancient power. That's completely neglecting the times you've been captured, turned evil, battled scary looking creatures, and, as an added bonus, become completely incapable of having normal relationships. Next thing you know you are on a three day trek through the woods, after days of not showering or sleeping. Oh, and I'm hungry. Have I mentioned that?"

Jason groaned. Kimberly was like a sister to him, but dear God, if she didn't stop talking…

"About a hundred times." He said, the intended patience in his voice sounding rather much more threatening than nice.

"Please!" she said, stretching her back and hearing a satisfying pop. "Can we please stop and take a break. We've been doing this for _days_ and haven't found anything. Every muscle in my body is aching!"

Jason sighed, and nodded his approval. He had something to ask her, but he feared her reaction.

Kimberly sighed with relief and lowered herself to the ground, stretching her legs out before her. "Thank you!" she breathed, popping her back again. "We can take the time to review the prophecy. Are you sure it didn't say anything more specific to this location?"

"It was like a riddle," Jason replied, rather grumpily. "We did the best we could to decipher the code. They said it was the place where Black, Green, White and Red all existed as one."

"So you mix them all together, and what? That makes brown!" Kimberly said, staring hopelessly at the vast amounts of brown that was before her.

"Exactly the problem."

"I'm losing patience, Jason. Why are we searching for this inner chamber when we know there's one in the Caribbean, one that has our faces etched into the stone. _And_ there were all those symbols, the same type of symbols that this prophecy was written in. I'm telling you, we need to go back there and look. This quest for the brown is pointless—"

"Well…there is another option we could take?" Jason gulped. _Here it comes,_ he thought.

Kimberly shot him a concerned look. "Which is?"

He took a deep breath. "Well, Tommy actually lives in Reefside now. I figure he might be able to help us."

Kimberly's body grew stiff. "I knew there was something you weren't telling me." Her voice was quiet.

"I'm sorry. I just didn't want you to get upset."

She pushed herself up. "Why on earth would I get upset?" her tone was unconvincing. "It was my fault, right? So the last time we met wasn't exactly pleasant. Oh well. Life goes on. It's not like I'm still in love with Tommy Oliver."

"Well…." Jason was perplexed. As much as he had tried, he had never been any good with this kind of thing. "Good?" He answered uncertainly.

"Good?" Kimberly's head shot up. "He's married isn't he? Oh my GOD, he and Kat got married and nobody told me!"

"Would you please calm down? He's not married, to my knowledge, unless he had an unruly evening in Las Vegas and pulled a Britney Spears. And you _don't_ care, remember?" It was absolutely imperative that she and Tommy be able to work together. _Absolutely_ imperative.

"Jason, I can't do this," she said, her voice quiet. "I know he claims he doesn't hate me, but last time I was with him…things were weird."

"Our lives our weird, Kim."

"Yes, but he specifically told me he couldn't see me again."

"It was hard for him! In his defense, he had thought we were both dead. I think it awoke the hurt in him he didn't realize existed."

"He was dating Kat!"

"You've got to remain calm. I know things will always be weird with you two, and there will always be that tension there, but we're all adults. More importantly, we're all the world has, and as a consequence, we're all each other have."

Kimberly stared at Jason, for a moment appreciating the lifetime of a connection they shared. There had not been a moment where she could remember Jason not being there—they had even been enrolled in the same toddler gymnastics class. He had been by her side her entire life—fending off unruly boys by posing as her decoy boyfriend, defending her honor, encouraging her to pursue Tommy, sitting in the stands as she won her first gold medal in the Pan-Global games.

"Please, Kim," he beseeched in a low tone. "The world needs us. Again."

She sighed, leaning against a tree. "I understand. I'm going to be mature about this. I promise."

Jason gave her a pleased smile and adjusted his backpack. "Excellent! Now, we just have to find that underground lair thing, and then we'll contact Tommy, let him know what's happening."

_Can't wait_, Kimberly thought, a tightness that refused to ease building in her chest. "Are you sure there wasn't any sort of code involved in that prophecy? Like, some kind of numerical letter assignment that gave us the exact location of the lair?"

Jason looked at her, half impressed, half smirking. "Way to channel Billy, Einstein. I didn't know you were capable of producing that complex of a thought."

Kimberly shot him a dirty look. "What you don't know could fill a book,"

Jason laughed. "No, _dear,_" he said in a condescendingly sweet tone. "There's no code. Trini's scanned it left and right."

"Don't call me dear!" she huffed, indignant. Jason responded by lobbing a clump of wet dirt at her, a grin on his face. His spirits had greatly improved now that he knew Kimberly was on board with letting Tommy in on their quest.

Kimberly batted the dirt away, and began walking, careful to keep a few steps ahead of Jason so he wouldn't be able to read the conflict that was welling up in her eyes. It was a very complicated emotion, the idea of seeing Tommy. A part of her wanted to curl up in a ball and cry with dread at the idea of a reunion; another part wanted to scream and jump around for joy—she had missed him so much more than she let on.

Tommy had been her best friend _and_ first love—a combination the heart wouldn't forget. "You never forget your first love," people kept telling her, which provided her some comfort. She wasn't supposed to forget him, therefore, his face popping up in her mind at different moments in life was completely normal. It wasn't until Ian proposed that she realized Tommy's memory was more significant than just reminiscences of a teenage romance—it was the manifestation of five year's regret.

Lost in thought, she continued through the trees of the forest, occasionally remembering her purpose and scanning the ground for any signs of covered holes or trenches that turned into something more. The task was tedious, and didn't require her full attention, and she had more pressing matters on her mind.

She tried to remember what her life was like before Tommy showed up, but couldn't. She knew she had friends that she had loved. She knew that she was happy, in an innocent sort of way. She had enjoyed flirting immensely, always tried to be kind, and had focused on gymnastics. She vaguely remembered her days as a cheerleader, cheering for Zach and Jason on the sidelines.

She remembered the day she was called forth by Zordon, how scared she was. How important her friends were to her, how she wanted to back out, but didn't. Yet, even that was muddled. Those days seemed a lifetime ago.

After a four year run as a gymnast, she had retired from professional gymnastics, and after rejecting Ian's marriage proposal, returned to Paris to live with her mother. She had been happy enough—the culture was a nice distraction, at least at first, and her lack of French speaking abilities gave her a peace and solitude she had not ever experienced. Eventually, she grew stir crazy and began to travel, seeking Aisha's company in Africa, Trini's in Boston, Jason's in Los Angeles, Rocky's in Seattle. A part of her thirsted for information about the others (mostly Kat and Tommy), but another part held back. All things aside, she managed to pretend to be content.

And yet, at the same time, she was unfulfilled. She had her friends, her family, a plethora of medals that had come at a high price, and yet, she could not understand why she was so distraught.

Jason had been the one to make her confront herself. She had come to him, and after drinking one too many glasses of wine, confessed her every worry, her every troubling thought.

"I don't know, Jase, I just don't know. My life feel so…" she bit her lip, refusing to say the word "empty" fearing the echo it would cause within her hollow heart.

"Without purpose?" Jason said, gently.

Kimberly nodded, her arms and legs curled up against her.

"Believe it or not, Kim, I understand. I used to be where you are. There was something in life that was missing, something I didn't quite get."

"What did you do?"

"I figured something out." He paused. "One day, I started reviewing my life. Every event, from day one. I thought about my relationships with people. I thought about my training in martial arts, I thought about my days in college, I thought about my days as a Ranger. And then, something occurred to me."

"What?"

"When Zordon called us, we were just kids. We lived in Angel Grove, California, which might as well be a time capsule from the fifties. We didn't swear, we didn't know what sex was, and every thought in our head was wholesome as can be."

Kimberly considered this, then nodded her agreement.

"But the deeper we got into all of it, the older we grew and the more difficult and deadly our missions became, the more our priorities changed. The more _we_ changed. At the point where we understood what true loss was, at the point where sexuality wasn't some vague concept in an after school special, at the point where we were fighting to save our friends and, for a brief second, let hate overtake our bodies, desiring to maim whoever was responsible for this…That was the day we let our innocence die. That the precise moment was when being a warrior, consumed us. And then, it changed us."

Kimberly looked at him, feeling a strange resonation in the words he spoke, yet not quite understanding.

"We were child warriors, Kim. And that kept us pure for as long as it could. But we're also human, and no amount of discipline we learned in martial arts could spare us our fate. We were warriors who had a destiny, and then, in a fleeting attempt to provide ourselves what we thought was a "normal" existence, we ran from it."

"I didn't run!" she protested. "I left after a much debated—"

"You were conflicted, but you left. Yet, think about your life at that point. I know you, Kim. I've been your best friend since day one. I remember specifically in your letters how scared you were. Even then, I could recognize your understanding of the world. You and Tommy were growing closer, your power had been taken away leaving you almost dead. You were fighting a battle that was bringing you closer and closer to a place that was so much darker than you had ever intended to go into."

She was silent for a moment, and then, in a small, puzzled voice replied, "Yes, I guess that's true."

"It wasn't until you had a chance to grow up, to fight those inner demons, to accept the dark side of passion that you realized how much you missed that good power, that power of protecting the innocent."

"So that's it? The reason I'm not as happy as I used to be is because the warrior in me needs to fight?"

"It's a little more complicated than that."

"How so?"

"The first time you came back to Angel Grove, what happened?"

"Other than being kidnapped while scuba diving, almost drowning, and being possessed by an evil spirit after being lowered into a lava pit? Same ol', Same ol'."

Jason's eyes lit up. "Exactly! Kimberly, think about it. Both of us once possessed an energy that directly tied us to a higher force of power, the power that belongs to the good. Then, we become hosts for the evil side, having our bodies filled with energy from the opposite ends of the spectrum. If we hadn't received a cure, our bodies would have been consumed by an inner fire. We might have been cured, but we were still changed. The evil that had taken over our bodies left a mark, and it made us crave that good power even more, and awoke in us a sense of balance within the world, marking us for future battle. We have been true evil, been consumed by self gratification and taught to enjoy hatred, and still want good. We have been marked for a greater destiny."

"How is that any different from Tommy or Kat? They were evil once, as well."

"Their evil was a product of a spell, ours was something much more intense."

Kimberly leaned her head back, the world making perfect sense for once. Jason was right, they had a destiny, and she would become a warrior once again.

A sharp pop of a twig reminded her that she was, once again, neglecting her purpose.

"Trap door," she repeated to herself under her breath, forcing herself to pay attention. Any actions she could take that would hinder Tommy's entrance into her little saga would be greatly appreciated.

"It's getting dark," Jason said, behind her. "Maybe we should call it a night and call Tommy in the morning."

Kimberly plastered a smirk on her face and turned around to face him, continuing to walk backwards. "What? You carry an underwater light yet can't manage to remember a flash light?"

Jason sniffed. "I have a flash light, but it's late. You're going to trip and fall and I'm going to laugh."

"Please," she huffed. "I'm a gymnast. I have the reflexes of a—" and with those words, her heel connected on a root and she went tumbling backwards.

"Ow!" she hissed, and in a chaotic second filled with flying dirt and splintered wood, found herself in a hole, about ten feet deep.

"Wow," Jason said from above her, sounding impressed. "I think that's the first time karma's actually worked in somebody's favor."

"Ow." She said again, pulling herself up. Between getting blown off an island and thrown down holes, she was starting to think she was getting too old for this.

She looked around, straining against the darkness. "Hey, I think there's a tunnel!" she called, dusting herself off and ignoring her throbbing elbow. She was pretty confident she was bleeding, but wasn't about to be bothered by looking for her wound. It as just a flesh wound, really.

Jason gave a careful jump and landed next to her. "Well then," He said, handing Kimberly a flash light with a smirk.

"Oh bite me," she said good-naturedly, snatching the flash light out of his hand. "And explorin' we will go."

- - - - - -

Tommy Oliver was not a begging man. He was used to simply asking people, nicely, and if the situation called for it, flexing his muscles a little bit. Most of the time a charming smile would do the trick.

And yet, he currently found himself pressed against his lab's door, beseeching the four mutinous faces in front of him to spar for just _five_ more minutes.

Something was coming. That he was certain. Just as evil did not die, he recognized that his destiny had not yet been fulfilled, that every battle he had ever fought before had been leading up to this very moment.

"Tommy, you might want to consider that they all have curfews they have to make," Hayley said, torn between defending the actions of her friend and wanting to have him committed. He had been making them train for days now. Out of respect for their leader, the kids had initially acquiesced, but with each day their muscles grew sorer, and their bodies grew more tired.

"Shh!" Kira said, suddenly suppressing her friends' rebellious outcry. There were muffled voices from the other side of the door.

"Well, this certainly looks like it would meet the qualifications of a lair, wouldn't it?" the first voice said, a deep masculine one.

"Hello Captain Obvious." A high pitched, feminine voice.

"Just push the button,"

"I'm not pushing the button!"

"So we're just going to stand here at the closed door to the lair we've been seeking for the better part of three days?"

"You wanted to find the lair, _you _push the button!"

"Last time I pushed the button, a castle exploded,"

"Exactly. You're batting a thousand. I'd hate to be the one to ruin that for you."

"You are completely—"

And with that, the door slid open, sending Tommy cascading backwards.

"Oh." Said the newly revealed man. "Hey Tommy!"

"Jason?" Tommy said, confusion in his voice. "Kimberly? What are you two doing here?"

"I was asking myself that very same question," Kimberly said, shooting Tommy a confused glance. "Why are _you_ in the brown lair?"

Jason smacked his forehead. "Oh! Completely missed that one by a mile."

Kimberly gratefully directed her confusion towards Jason. "Explain?"

"The prophecy was talking about where White, Green, Red and Black all live as one. It's not talking about mixing colors, the prophecy was talking about Tommy! As a Ranger, he wore green, white, red, and now black."

"Well, not really now," Tommy muttered, as Hayley and Trent helped pull him up. "We sacrificed our powers in order to best Mesagog…it's really a long story."

"So all of this is yours?" Jason said, stepping in and admiring the technology that surrounded him. "Must have taken a while to complete."

"Hayley helped. She's brilliant with computers!" Tommy said, smiling in Hayley's direction.

Jason could have sworn he heard the words "Las Vegas" and "Britney Spears" under Kimberly's breath, but chose to ignore it.

"Nice to meet you!" Kimberly said, her smile super friendly but her eyes empty, holding her hand out in Hayley's direction. "I'm—"

"Kimberly Hart!" Hayley interrupted. "Tommy's told me all about you!"

"I deny everything," Kimberly said, automatically.

Hayley, much to everyone's relief, took this as a joke.

Jason looked at the four teenagers standing behind Hayley. "And these must be your famous Dino Rangers I've been hearing so much about!"

"Yeah," Tommy said, taking off his glasses to clean them buying him a second to quell the confusion that was threatening to make his heart explode. "Um, that's Conner, Trent, Kira, and Ethan. Everyone, this is Jason Scott, the original Red Ranger, and Kimberly Hart, the original Pink Rangers."

"Um…it's nice to meet you?" Conner muttered, confusion evident in his crinkled brow.

And then, there was silence. Jason was too busy looking around to notice that the others were waiting for an explanation; Kimberly was avoiding looking at both Tommy and Hayley, and then, after realizing Conner was checking her out, had to do so in a way that prevented her backside from being in clear view. Kira, Ethan, and Trent were all staring at Tommy expectantly, trying to kill the confusion that was roaring silently through the room.

"Jason?" Kimberly whispered, which was futile as the room was completely silent and she might as well be shouting. "I think they want their explanation."  
Jason sighed. "Show them the stones."

Kimberly raised an eyebrow. "Starting with the finale, aren't you?"

"Just do it!"  
Sighing, she turned around and unzipped her backpack, feeling her way to the bottom for the velvety touch of the bag she had hidden the stones in. Grabbing it, she pulled them slowly out.

"This is going to be a little bit…unexpected." Jason began. "But it looks like the fight's not over yet."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Prophecies, Memories, and Tension, Oh My!**

Tommy raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.

"There's another evil following in the tradition of Rita and Lord Zedd and all the others. Only, this one is stronger. It's like, the Granddaddy of all evil. Back before the earth even existed, there were two major groups whose names we can't and probably will never be able to pronounce. One group was intent on taking the galaxy by force, enslaving the different races of being, to incite mayhem and ultimately a genocide between different nations. The second group disagreed. They felt that peaceful governing was the best option, a democracy of sorts. They regulated disputes within the galaxy, setting forth a patrol that enabled them to keep those around them safe and track the use of evil forces. They were celebrated for their efforts, known by the name Power Rangers. With their efforts, life was happy.

"Naturally, the evil ones couldn't stand it. They wanted destruction, so they conjured up monsters, attempted to destroy these Rangers, their logic being that they were the only things standing in the way of their total domination of the earth.

"And so, a battle began. The kind of which we would not be able to understand. The evil was operating under one master, a creature so awful that no language has ever been able to provide it with a name. His servants call him Master, those who fear him call him the Original Evil. Kimberly likes to call him Ted."

"_T_he _E_vil _D_ude," she said, nodding.

"Clever." Kira chimed in.

"Anyway, the closest any of us has ever come to this guy is Malagore, Divatox's ex fiancé of sorts. And that guy, while he might be ugly, was an extremely watered down version. This guy is bad news.

"And so, this battle escalated until the Rangers, led by a great warrior named Lythmore, were finally able to vanquish Ted into an alternate dimension, one where he wouldn't be able to escape unless one of his minions gathered certain keys in a certain order. However, Ted's evil was so great that in order for that alternate universe to sustain him, to keep him jailed, it would require a sacrifice on the Rangers' behalf, a sacrifice to keep what the prophecies refer to as 'the balance'.

"Lythmore, being the brave and wonderful soldier he was, sacrificed himself at the hands of the galaxy, choosing to enter in this hellish reality with Ted to secure the safety of the people he loved. By doing so, he sealed both of their fates to an eternity in exile.

"Lythmore's good energy versus Ted's bad energy created an explosion within the unvierse. This explosion resulted in the creation of six colored stones. Red, Green, Pink, Blue, Yellow, and Black."

Tommy's interest increased ten-fold. "The same colors as the original Rangers?"

"Oddly enough, yes. You see, right before the events of the great battle that resulted in Lythmore's martyrdom, he apperantly went into a trance and recorded pages and pages of future predictions. He foresaw everything that came to pass--every great battle fought within the realm of the universe. He foresaw the creation of the stones, and was very specefic as to where they were to be hid. He said the stones's power would find their rightful owner, but also that the stones were the key in unleashing Ted from his jail.

"As per Lythmore's instructions, they hid these stones on the most remote island on earth, trusting Zordon to be their watcher. Zordon, a devout follower of Lythmore's teachings, transferred the power of the stones into the power coins (letting one accidentally fall into the hands of Rita), waiting for the prophecy to fulfill itself and the five Rangers to be called and the Green Ranger to return to the others."

Jason took a deep breath, seeing the worried look in Tommy's eyes, as well as the confused looks that were getting more and more intense from the others around him.

"What does this have to do with any of us?" Ethan asked, exchanging glances with Trent and Kira.

"That's the part that's tricky," Kimberly cut in. "Apparently, when the stones were brought down to earth, Zordon assigned the stones a permenant guardian. However, this individual turned out to have a God complex, and as a result, created a religion around these stones. The religion is virtually unknown by anybody else, and is really only located in impoverished communities within the Carribean islands. They stones were hidden in a secret temple on a very remote island, and a giant castle was composed around it. However, one of the stipulations of the religion is that in five thousand years the stones will be used to open up the portal to heaven and let all its followers ascend. Of course, we know it really means it's going to unleash hell."

Ethan gulped. "When exactly is this ritual supposed to occur?"

Kimberly shot Jason a very cryptic glare. "A couple of days ago."

"Then it wasn't successful?" Kira broke in, confusion in her eyes.

"No. Thanks to Jason's amazing stealth."

"Long story short, Kimberly and I broke in halfway through. Turns out that this 'impoverished carribean community' has some amazing technology."

"Namely, explosives."

"Not just explosives. They had complex computer equipment that has no equal. We think someone might have some alien contacts."

"They were able to perform about half of the ritual before Jason brought it to their attention we were there. We were able to steal the stones, but as an unpleasant side effect, the secret chamber exploded, taking half of the island with it. That's not the worst news."

"It's not?" Kira and Conner said in tandem.

"No." Jason continued. "Even though only half the ritual was performed, it still was enough to crack open the dimension in which Ted and Lythmore are contained. Ted can't yet escape, but he can communicate with his followers. He is preparing them all for war, and the bloodshed predicted is unimaginable."

"How did you get involved in this in the first place?" Tommy said, a chill overtaking his body at Jason's last words. "How did you even know these prophecies even existed?"

Jason took a deep breath. "When Malagore possessed Kimberly and I, something in us was changed. The Latharagan's spell reversed all traces of evil, but there was still that change. When Ted broke loose, we felt it, we heard his call. Fortunately, we also heard Lythmore's call, and it was one of hope. He spoke of prophecies that would dictate the coming battle, to try to give us an edge. We knew it wasn't a dream when we both experienced it."

"You see, Trini and Billy (via his alien homeland) have been in constant contact trying to interpret the rest of the prophecies, which are encoded in a forgotten alien language. They were able to find the prophecies Lythmore spoke of, mostly hidden within ancient Egyptian documents. They're still working on the translations, but so far they've determined that we were supposed to go to the Caribbean's and get the stones, and then seek out this lair and retrieve the inhabitants. The only other part that was easy to get was that each of the original Rangers has to possess the stones for some other type of ritual. Other than that, we're completely lost."

Kimberly finished speaking, the events of the day suddenly weighing down upon her. She was tired, so very, very tired.

"So…" Conner began. "Well….um…have your lives always been this complicated?"

"Yes." Tommy, Jason, and Kimberly said at once.

"The frustrating part of the prophecy," Jason continued. "Is its vagueness. We were told to collect something from this lair. However, we have no earthly way of knowing what it is—if it's you guys, or if its something here. It's almost enough to drive you insane."

Tommy laughed. "It's good to see you again," he said, his eyes steadily on Jason. "But let's be honest. You've been insane for years."

Jason rolled his eyes. "I give up."

Hayley spoke. "Maybe I can help, with the prophecy translation. I'm pretty good with computers, and the extra manpower might be helpful."

"That would be wonderful," Jason said gratefully, helping Kimberly lower herself into a chair.

"Um, is she okay?" Kira asked, eyes toward Kimberly. "She's bleeding."

"Am I?" Kimberly asked, lifting her arms and immediately cringing. "Where?"

"Oh, right here," Jason said, running a finger lightly down a cut on her shoulder. Tommy felt his hands clench involuntarily. "Ew, Kim, that looks pretty bad. You need to get that taken care of."

"I'm fine!" she insisted. "I'm just a little sore. My body has been through a lot these past couple of days."

Tommy didn't like the way that sounded. It must have registered in his eyes, because Jason was quick to fire back with a hurried "From being almost blown up."

"And drowned." Kimberly added. "And dropped."

"Bad week at the office?" Ethan asked.

"You have no idea."

"There's some bandages at Tommy's house," Hayley added, an indistinguishable look in her eyes. "Should I go get them?" Tommy frowned at her. Hayley was one of his closest friends, and as a consequence, knew entirely too much about his history with Kimberly. He didn't know what she was thinking, but he didn't like that sparkle in her eyes.

Kimberly yawned. "You don't have to," she said, deciding she was too tired and in too much pain to be jealous of someone who was being so nice. "I don't want to cause any inconvenience."

"You poor thing!" Hayley said. "You must be exhausted!" She sent a very calculated look towards Tommy. "She probably needs to lie down!" She said, in a voice dripping with carefully feigned innocence.

Tommy could have murdered Hayley, but instead settled with a reply in a forced voice. "By all means, stay with me. You both need a place to sleep, and I have a couple of extra rooms."

"Thanks, man." Jason said, rubbing his eyes. "You don't know how great a warm shower would feel."

"Please!" Kimberly said, vigorously rubbing a muscle in her lower leg. "All the days spent in those jittery cargo holds of planes, I'm just looking forward to lying down in a place that stays still."

"Well, that's settled!" Hayley's look was of pure triumph. "We'll order Chinese food. I bet you're starving!"

"You're an Angel!" Jason said, pulling up Kimberly, who was looking at Hayley with all the adoration her facial muscles could muster.

"Starving was five hours ago." she groaned. We've now reached the point of hallucinations."

- - - -

Tommy looked carefully at Jason and Kimberly as they limped toward the door. They were different then he remembered them being, but then again, they were all different. There comes a point in every person's life, he figured, where their innocence becomes a casualty in the war of life.

But _Kimberly_?

The Kimberly of the past had been a carefree spirit, loyal, sometimes silly, and always smiling. She had a shopping problem, that was too be sure, but underneath it all was this amazing heart that shown in her eyes and reverberated in her smile.

Now, she was changed. There was still that huge heart present, but it was no longer on her sleeve, no longer out for the entire world to see. Her heart was guarded now, no longer under the guise of serenity that innocence had brought. She understands, Tommy thought. She understands that the world is not inherently good. She can see the bad now.

That thought depressed him. He knew it was inevitable, that they'd all have to grow up and shed the delusions of their youth. Kimberly and Tommy both knew first hand exactly how hard it was to keep the quality of innocence once certain boundaries had been reached. Tommy was significantly more gifted in the department of discipline, much to Kimberly's simultaneous relief and dismay.

Tommy was relieved, however, to see her passion hadn't been diminished. He had seen it flash in those beautiful brown eyes, that stubbornness that came from having a goal and wanting it accomplished. She might be more mature, but she was going to fight to the death if that's what it was going to take.

Seeing her had brought back memories and emotions he wasn't sure what to do with. Tommy had spent the better part of his twenty seven years on this planet trying to maintain discipline, discipline that Kimberly had seemingly spent a lifetime trying to break down. Suddenly, he was unsure where he stood, unsure whether to smile at her and Jason's bickering or give her a cold look. He couldn't decide if he could be her friend or if he hated her, and it was making his head spin.

They had barely acknowledged each other these past years. After she had broken up with him, he had written her a letter saying that he would always care about her, but he couldn't pretend to be her friend when she had hurt him so badly. She had not replied, a sign which he needed no help in interpreting--she was no longer his Kimberly, no longer his girlfriend. He had loved her as much as any man could, and it had not been enough.

But that one, awful day. The day her scared face appeared on the screen before him...it had been unimaginably painful. Those eyes had been all the encouragement he needed to try to find her again. The entire journey, he had been haunted with images of Kimberly being tortured, needing him, not being able to defeat her attackers. When Divatox tricked them into thinking she was dumping their bodies, he hadn't been able to think. For the first time in his limitless experience in battle, he had lost it. Adam had figured out that they were dummies long before Tommy, but he would not be calmed by reason. "I have to check the other one!" He had screamed, swimming as fast as his body would take him, all the while feeling like his body was barely moving. He had this awful image in his mind, her eyes lifeless, her skin white, her body limp. That feeling haunted him in his dreams--it was animalistic, lacking in all sense of reason or brain function. All he could see was Kimberly dead, all he could hear was her final cry, begging him to help her She couldn't morph, leaving her helpless. The feeling of seeing her evil, of looking into her eyes and knowing she could not hear him was almost as bad. He had removed his helmet in vain, desperate to look into her eyes to try to find the Kimberly he loved, to free her from her evil captors.

It hadn't worked.

He had abandoned Kat, who was being pummeled by Kimberly, and had rushed to Kimberly's side, desperate to help her.

Kat had never mentioned that day, never betrayed one hint of jealousy, but that was to be expected—Kat was the perfect picture of a lady, and above all had a forgiving heart. Deep down, Tommy always suspected her hurt ran deeper than that day, a question lingering on her lips that she refused to unlock and set free. Kat was a smart girl, and she knew that as long as everyone was happy and Kimberly was in Florida, there was no reason for her to be upset or jealous.

He had been happy enough with Kat. Of course it was different from Kimberly, but that was to be expected. Kimberly had been his first love. Sometimes, it's not as simple as a simple "I don't love you anymore" to kill all emotions. Sometimes you have to let them die on their own.

_And I don't_, he insisted in his head. _I'm over it. It's all in the past. _

Taking a deep breath, he led them back to his house, praying that the tornado of thoughts in his mind would recede before anyone suspected the inner turmoil.

- - - -

Lying in her soft bed, knowing she was down the hall from _him,_ her mind began to wander. Seeing Tommy had brought back more memories then she'd care to admit.

She hated it.

All of a sudden, hundreds of memories came rushing back: The first time she had seen Tommy, how she had suddenly been breathless, and could not look away; the first time they had introduced, how he had smiled and she had immediately fallen in love; the pain she had felt at being rejected by him (while under Rita's control, albeit); their first kiss, their first date. It had been so long ago, yet, it felt like it had only been a week. She didn't understand why, but she wanted to go in his room, curl up next to him, and confess everything that had gone wrong in her life the last five years. She wanted him to hold her again, to tell her everything would be okay. To joke with her, and stroke her hair, and be her Tommy again. She had told herself she was past all of this, that she and Tommy would be friends again. Real friends. Not that weak kind of friends that pretended to really care when all they really wanted to do was jump each other's bones.

No! She chided herself. No, no, no, no. There would be _no_ mentioning of the jumping of bones.

Tommy looked amazing. The years had aged him to his advantage. She liked his hair shorter—it made him look more mature. And she had almost choked when she heard Ethan refer to him as Dr. Oliver. He had always been into the dinosaur thing, but he had always been so disorganized. It was a wonder he had managed to _find_ his thesis to submit it. She was relieved to see that the gentle, almost goofy quality about him was still present. He was still able to smile, and that comforted Kimberly more than anything else.

She closed her eyes and tried to pretend that she was back in Angel Grove. She pretended she was sixteen, and Tommy was going to pick her up to go on a date tomorrow. She pictured her friend's faces, Zordon's face. She tried to remember when she was still young and naïve enough to believe that everything was going to be okay—that good was always going to conquer evil because of a staunch moral code.

And, she closed her eyes, and let the quiet, dark peace consume her, pulling her from her world of grey.

"_May I have this dance?" He had asked her, smiling. He was so cute when he smiled._

_And for a moment, the entire world melted away. They weren't under attack—they were just two teenagers on a date._

_She took his hand, and swung into action. _

_Later, she recalled exactly how amazingly synchronized it had been. It was as if they shared a brain. Every move they made, they made together…the dance of battle. _

_Her mind was dizzy with happiness—could this be love?_

_And then, the locker room at the Youth Center. . _

_He pulled her to him, crushing her lips with his own. She let her fingers run across his chest before wrapping around his neck. They had a good solid ten minutes until they absolutely had to meet the others at the Youth Center, and they were going to utilize every second. _

_He deepened the kiss, and she wanted to purr with joy. He was handsome and perfect and he was hers. No one else would ever be worthy. _

_They broke apart, and she leaned her forehead against him. "God, I'll miss this," she said, her heart filling with sadness. _

"_Me too," he said, kissing her forehead and holding her to him. "It won't change anything, Kim. I promise. You'll be home before you know it, and we'll pick off right where we left off!" He smiled again, and she felt her heart melt. _

"_Promise?" she asked him, standing on tiptoe to kiss him on the nose. He laughed._

"_I promise." He said._

_Suddenly, he broke away from her, distraught, furious. "Of course I promised. And I kept it. But why did it never occur to make you promise."_

_She stared up at him. "Because you aren't that person."_

"_And is that why you left me? Because I didn't fight hard enough for you? Because I trusted you? You said I was like your brother."_

"_It was such a mistake, Tommy." But he didn't turn around. _

_And in a second, she wasn't behind the school anymore. She was walking down the street, trying to get back to her dorm room. In Florida._

"_You're just scared," Ian was saying, his tone harsh. "You keep whining to me about this boyfriend, the one thousands of miles away. It's so noble, it makes me sick. You tell me how passionate you are in life, but what do you have to show for it? I've read his damn letters. He's not your lover, he's your damn brother. A kid. He doesn't know how to handle a girl like you. And you! You just let him. You want to make a difference in this world, you have to start living it, Kimberly."_

"_Don't pretend like you know me, Ian," Kimberly snapped, hating herself for believing him. . _

"_I do know you!" He grabbed her and spun her around, holding her close to him. "And I know that if this guy, if _Tommy_ loved you half as much as I do he'd have already been here by now, fighting to win you back."_

"_Win me back?" Kimberly practically screeched. "Don't make me laugh. And he has no reason to be jealous. Like I'd actually mention you in my letters?"_

"_You didn't?" Ian searched her face, a grin lighting it up. "So you're hiding it from him? Why? Because you feel something too and you're too afraid to tell him?"_

"_What? I didn't—no! Of course not!"_

"_We've spent practically every moment together since your damn plane landed, and you didn't tell him about me?"_

"_I didn't—"_

"_You were afraid to tell him. You know why?" He searched her face. "Because you know he's not bad enough for you. You know there's a part of you that wants someone who is willing to fight for you—"_

"_Ha!" she scoffed. "Shows what you know!" She tried to walk on._

"_Kimberly!" He pleaded. "If Tommy was here, right now, and you told him you loved me…what would he do?"_

_She closed her eyes, and envision the scene—his sad eyes, pleading, but letting her go. He'd want her to be happy. He trusted her. _

_Ian read her expression. "You see! You can sit here and tell me all day long how decent your boyfriend is, what an amazingly humble person he is. But here's the truth—humbleness and honor have no place in love. It's a dirty business. What you share with Tommy is nothing more than a brother in a boyfriend casing. It was sweet, but it wasn't passion." He grabbed her, and kissed her, a kiss infused with a strange passion that made Kimberly's head light. "I will fight for you until the day I die," he told her, stroking her hair. "I doubt you'd get such an offer from Tommy."_

_And with that, he had walked away, leaving Kimberly floored, her mind racing. What if he's right? She thought with horror. What if Tommy was nothing more than a childhood romance? _

"_Live in the now!" Ian had pleaded with her. "Be your own damn person, Kimberly. If you don't let him go, you'll never know the amazing life you could have. You live in Florida now, not in Angel Grove. If you love Tommy, it'll be okay if you let him go. How can you expect to live your life having only ever dated one other person? You've already met the person you're spending the rest of your life with, the person you're supposed to be with"._

"_What? You?" She had scoffed._

"_No," he replied earnestly. "You. You are all you have in this world, Kimberly. If you have to have someone else to make you who you are, if you are that afraid to be by yourself and live a life of passion and adventure, then you are not the girl I thought you were." _

"_I have my friends," she had hissed. "And I have Tommy. You might not understand that, but it's true."_

"_Oh my God," he had stared at her in realization. "You're nothing but a child. You think you understand love and life, but you don't. All you think you know is three thousand miles away, and you're not even going to try to find something better." _

_She had walked away, that night, her body shaking. She spoke of her friends, and of Tommy, but where were they? In Angel Grove, saving the world. _

_Without her._

_She had made a decision, at that moment. She didn't want to be lonely anymore. She didn't want to miss anybody, anymore. _

_And so, she told herself it was true. She was all she had. And maybe, if she believed it hard enough, it would be right. _

_She scribbled her letter to him without stopping, without pausing to think. If it made sense, it would be a miracle. _

_I will live in the now! She told herself, her body exhausted with the intense emotion it had just contained. Her hand shaking, she had let the envelope drop into the mail slot. _

_My destiny is sealed, she thought. I am destined for passion._

Kimberly woke with tears in her eyes. She hastily wiped them away and turning on to her stomach, hugged her pillow to her. She had called Aisha, crying. "I've made the biggest mistake," she had told her.

"Kimberly," she replied, her voice consoling. "He's dating Kat. She's a sweet girl. You have to let him go."

Yes, Kimberly Hart had been destined for passion—every heart wrenching, painful minute. To love someone else was to want to willingly hold your heart for the entire world to see. She was doomed to forever try in vain to protect it.

Life was fine right now—true she had a constant, painful reminder of how she had lost Tommy, but she also had a purpose. But what if, by a miracle, they succeeded? What would become of her then?

You will be lost, the voice inside her head told her. You will be another ex champion. You will be alone. Everyone else had lives, had work, had families. But not her. She was alone, by her own, pitiful devising. That would be her cross to bear.

Of course, there was always Jason, but even he was capable of looking toward the future. It had been his dream to open up a Dojo, and if they could pull this off, it was entirely possible he would get an opportunity to do just that.

Kimberly tossed in her warm bed, trying to go back to sleep, wishing she could stop the influx of thoughts that crossed her mind.

Kimberly very rarely endeavored to dream about what her life had been like if she had returned to Angel Grove, or went to college with Tommy. She had imagined what their wedding would have been like, the long nights they would have spent cuddling, eating Chinese food, and watching television. How much fun it would be to goof off, to wear his shirts to bed, to lie next to him at night, to be his wife. She had envisioned their family.

Then, one horrible night, after a pitifully bad date and a bottle of wine, she had forced herself to envision Kat and Tommy's wedding. She forced herself to envision every fantasy she had every had about what their life could have been like together and let herself see Kat and Tommy live that.

She had cried herself to sleep and refused to eat for a day.

She jumped out of bed, headed for the kitchen. A cup of tea would soothe her nerves. She had instantly loved the view from the kitchen, to stare out at the trees at nighttime. She remembered when she was a little girl how she had wanted to be trapped in a castle, to stare out a window like this one and see a prince on a white horse riding through the distance.

_How about a white tiger? _

_That would work._

She closed her eyes, begging the image to die. Leave me alone, she pleaded to the ghosts of her past. I want to be left alone. I want to be left—

_To die alone?_

She shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself for warmth, and praying that the water hurry up and boil.

"Kimberly?" A voice broke through the silence, causing Kimberly to jump a mile.

"Hayley? You scared me!"

Hayley smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, I couldn't sleep, and I heard someone moving. I figured I'd go check it out."

"I didn't realize you were staying the night?" Kimberly tried to prevent the jealousy from sounding too heavy.

"Oh, I have a bed in the lair. A lot of late night. Tommy doesn't mind as long as I'm being productive!" There was something very reassuring in her voice.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" Kimberly said, trying to find something to say. "I have more than enough for two and I could always use the company?"

Hayley smiled genuinely. "I would love that."

They sat across the table, a heavy silence on their shoulders.

"So…" Kimberly began, struggling for something to say that wouldn't sound accusing or jealous. "How did you and Tommy meet?"

"In college," Hayley replied. "After I figured out his little secret he had no choice but to be my friend," she laughed.

"You figured out that he was a Power Ranger?" Kimberly said, her eyebrows raising.

"It wasn't hard. You guys didn't exactly exercise subtlety when you went gallivanting around town in the same color day in and day out."

Kimberly laughed. "Hey, pink was my favorite color. I had a right,"

"Yeah, Tommy always said how easily you could have pulled it off."

Kimberly smiled. "Maybe that's why he switched colors so often…to avoid arousing suspicions," she winked.

Hayley laughed. "He takes that pretty seriously. After he become the black ranger he was all like 'excuse me, I have to go shopping'"

"I would have died of shock. He hated going shopping." She paused, the laughter dying in her voice. "You know, back when I knew him."

Hayley was determined to keep the tone light. "Yeah, but in his defense, he mentioned that you were a different story. He said a day in the mall with you was an entirely different story."

Kimberly gave a pressed smile, and took a sip of her tea. "That was a long time ago," she said, finally.

"It was only five years ago!"

"A lot has changed since then."

Hayley paused, unsure of what to say. "He told me about you, you know," She told her, carefully. "In college, he was this legend amongst the girls. Everyone wanted to date him, but he wouldn't. And I saw your picture, and asked him questions. He gave me very short answers, but I got the gist."

Kimberly sighed. "We were so young."

"You needed some time to grow. I commend you for being brave enough to let him go. That takes some strength."

"There really wasn't ever anyone else, you know," Kimberly said suddenly. She wasn't sure why, but she had a desire to spill her soul to Hayley, to let a new friendship be born. "When I wrote that, I was talking about a guy, but I don't think that's what I meant. I knew it wasn't ever going to work out with Ian. But I was scared half to death that Tommy and I were going to miss out on living our lives if we spent that much time apart. We were so young…and young love needs kisses behind the school building, and dates, and holding hands. I was so worried we were missing out, that it would be okay eventually but for that present, we needed to be apart." She folded her hands. "And look how great that turned out. He hates me."

"He doesn't hate you!" Hayley was quick to reassure.

"He has barely said two words to me. You saw him at dinner. Any questions he had were strictly directed to Jason. I was an after thought."

"He's confused. And he's still hurt. I think—" she stopped herself. No, that was not her place. Instead, she switched tracks. "I think," she continued. "That he has to come to terms with his destiny. To accept that he doesn't have all the answers."

"We'll see," Kimberly said softly, trying not to yawn. "I'm going back to bed. Maybe the tea will be enough to soothe the nightmares."

"Good luck!" Hayley said, smiling as she left.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Hayley's Interlude**

At the present, Hayley had a strong sense that destiny was working its will.

Hayley very seldom reflected on the time she had spent with Tommy during their days at MIT. It was true enough that he had been the apple of half the female student body's eye—she had been witness to many a conversation about Tommy, and had seen many attempts to capture his interest backfire. Hayley had always felt her interest in Tommy ran a little deeper—It was not as if she wasn't just as interested in his rock hard abs, but the fact that most fascinated her about him was how completely oblivious he was to being the most sought after guy on campus. Instead, he was genuinely nice to everybody, particularly those to whom niceness was a rare occurrence. He did not take advantage of any of the insecure harlots that flung themselves shamelessly at him, always gently letting them down. Instead of spending his days drinking or tripping away his youth, he spent it training in martial arts or studying. Hayley had never encountered a man like that before…a man from whom discipline poured, like water from a river. She was honored by the fact he chose her to be one of his closest friends, but was plagued by a plethora of irritating thoughts—as much as she tried to not be in love with Tommy, he would give her a sweet, understanding smile that would force her thoughts right back into hyperdrive.

So, she was stuck. She tried to pretend he was just another guy, but a flash of his amazing arms quickly replaced her "ho hum" thoughts with those of a little more graphic nature. She tried to drop hints, but he remained oblivious (and seemingly uninterested in anything more than friendship). Eventually, she stopped trying, but she dared not to stop hoping.

She remembered vividly the first day he invited her over to his dorm room to study. It was a single room, with a simple twin bed that he barely fit in, and a set of dressers. She was taken away by how clean his room was, although his desk was in a state of disorganization (which he had laughed at embarrassingly and confessed that he had suffered from a "scatterbrainness" his entire life). She had taken time to notice the pictures on the shelf, observing Tommy's past life. They were mostly all group shots, of six or so teenagers, who looked genuinely joyful at an opportunity to have such a day of blissful, teenage fun. It was not difficult to discern the pictures' progress, as each smiling teen (who always, Hayley thought, remained faithful to their respective color) slowly maturing in front of her eyes. Some pictures would reveal one of the colorful teenager's absences, instead replaced by another boy or girl in the same color. Hayley couldn't help but notice how comfortable the girl in pink seemed to be with Tommy, how happy they looked together—Tommy, his eyes smiling as he looked down on the pretty, petite brunette; the girl leaning casually into Tommy's arm, her fingers intertwined with the hand he rested on her shoulder.

She moved down the shelf, and was surprised at what she saw—the girl in pink was gone, replaced by another pretty blond girl with a shy smile. And Tommy's eyes did not smile quite the same way.

"Are these your friends from high school?" She had asked, carefully waiting for a reaction.

"Yes," He said, barely looking up from his books, then adding with a small laugh "That's the old gang. A lot of good times."

Hayley had smiled her reply, then, asked in what she hoped would be considered a teasing voice added "Which one was your girlfriend?" It was a bold move, as Tommy had gone to quite extensive lengths with the rest of the female student body to ensure that he had no interest in dating. To presume he had ever been any different could be perceived as odd.

Tommy had determinedly not looked up, before emitting a half smile. "The one in pink."

Hayley's courage did not fail her. "The blonde? Or the brunette?"

Tommy's smile faded. "The brunette and I dated for the longest. The blonde and I were really close, but it wasn't anything like before."

Hayley had spent the rest of the study date trying to envision what Tommy had been like in love. She had dared not ask any questions, as it was obvious it had made Tommy uncomfortable. She considered the matter as she walked back to her dorms, and all that night. The pictures had bothered her, and not just the image of the mysterious girls in pink. The pictures were like another completed puzzle to which Hayley had a piece but could not find a place to make it fit. It was not hard to see what lie between the teenagers in the pictures—unconditional trust, a strong friendship, a comfort found in each others presence. Each contributed something to the picture, lending a strength and beauty to the group. What was most unnerving, at least to Hayley, was how the cute brunette and Tommy blended together—an obvious pair in a colorful sea of individuals. Her Tommy, that is to say, the Tommy she knew was independent now. He had willingly made the choice to not let another woman couple him.

This meant one thing—there was a story there.

Hayley had spent the better part of a month obsessing about the cute brunette in pink. Tommy was always careful to reference his friends as "my friends from home", which made it rather difficult for her to discover the name. Hayley poured over different possibilities—she had left him for someone else, he had left her for the blonde girl, there had been a horrible misunderstanding, he had broken her heart once and she couldn't forgive him for it. Whatever it was, she knew she could never ask Tommy.

The matter continued to occupy her thoughts until she had, accidentally, ran into an archived newspaper article of the famous Power Rangers of Angel Grove. Her eyes glanced over the colors of the Ranger's uniforms, and suddenly, it had hit her. Tommy's intense focus on martial arts, his reluctance to talk about his former life.

He had been a Power Ranger.

Hayley's reluctance in the delicate matters of Tommy's personal life melted away into downright persistence. She had knocked on Tommy's door, flashed him the picture and with a knowing look told him what she had discovered.

He had let her in, and in a night, told her everything. About how it began, him an evil spawn under Rita's control, how Jason, Zach, Billy, Trini and Kimberly had been so quick to befriend him, how amazing it had been to fight alongside them (and their eventual replacements) all those years. How he had been released from his responsibilities to get a chance to grow up.

The look on Tommy's face relieved Hayley greatly. He did not view her questions as impertinence; rather, he looked like he genuinely enjoyed sharing his amazing life with her. His words intoxicated him, and before she knew it, he was confessing the nature of his relationships with Kimberly and Katherine.

"Kimberly was my first love," He said, picking up the picture. "We shared so much together, and were so happy for so long despite everything." He paused, his eyes searching a picture. "Even the few weeks we did the long distance thing. That's why I was so surprised…" he dropped off with reluctance. "When I got the letter."

Hayley had barely dared ask. "The letter?"

Tommy nodded, his focus still steadily on the picture. "After she left for Florida, to train for the Pan-Global games. She sent me a letter saying she had met someone else…the person she thought she was supposed to be with."

Hayley had struggled for a reply. "Ouch." She finally said. After Tommy remained silent she piped in with a slight "Did you ever see her again?"

Tommy cleared his throat, and upon replacing the picture on the shelf said in a decidly strong voice "Yes. She was captured by Divatrox. She and Jason both. We had to go help them."

Tommy's voice made her feel instantly alarmed at the possibility of a bad fate. "Oh God, did something happen?"

"No, she's fine. She and Jason both. Well, there was a spell when they turned into a spawn of evil, but fortunately, we worked past that."

Hayley's eyes had been huge. She felt like she was seeing Tommy for the first time. "How is it possible you kept all this to yourself?" She said incredulously. "That you worked so hard without ever becoming cynical?"

Tommy had looked at her, a most sincere look in his eyes. "That group, they were my family." He had told her. "Anything bad that happened, anything that would threaten to jade us, vanished at the end of the day over a few laughs."

She had paused at his use of the past tense. "Are you still close?"

He didn't answer for a long time, then finally spoke, his tone very controlled. "When I got that letter, a lot of things changed." He said. "That was the point where I realized exactly who I was--a child fighting an intergalactic battle. I guess you can say I got a little more jaded after that. The group still meant the world to me, but I realized I was ultimately on my own. Ever since then, nothing has been the same."

She had stopped her questions that night, understanding she had been entrusted with more information that anyone else. She had become his best friend, helped him after he found the stones and his partner had mysteriously vanishd. She had watched him become a Ranger again; the joyous look it brought to his eyes. However, it wasn't the same look he had in his pictures—he was older, more mature. He was the father figure to a group of children instead of being a child himself—he worried about changing their lives for the worst, having resigned himself that the events in his life could not be changed. He no longer had his core group of five teenagers to make all of his problems vanish, instead, he allowed himself be confronted with the dark side of battle. She watched her youthful crush develop into a deep friendship, one she treasured with all of her heart.

She watched him say goodbye to his protégés, having defeated the necessary evils, letting them retire to a more normal life than he could ever hope to attain. He did this without any comment, any complaint, but Hayley had known him long enough to hear his unspoken words. He had said he wanted a quiet, more peaceful life. He and Hayley both shared an inner smile—they both knew he was destined for other things. It was in his blood, his very nature of being. He had been conceived in the battle between good and evil—it was his destiny that his life should be dedicated to the fight.

Still, Tommy made a good show at pretending to enjoy the lull of activity life had brought. Hayley did him the favor of pretending to believe him, pretending that he was going to go back and be a science teacher and be happy about it. Pretended to believe that he was happy sitting in his house alone at night, heating up a microwave dinner and watching tv. No, he was destined for greater things.

Now, things were going to change. She had always believed things happened for a reason. Kimberly was back in his life for a reason. She just hoped he wouldn't do something stupid--she knew Tommy better than almost anyone. She knew he was going to desperately believe that the love he still felt for her, the passion the mere mention of her name arose in him, was actually disgust. He was still hurt, and she hoped he wasn't going to do something they would all regret. She did not doubt Tommy's discipline, but she understood that Kimberly Hart had been the only person to ever crack it, and that scared Tommy more than he would ever admit. She had made him vulnerable and then hurt him, something no enemy they have faced had ever done.

_Yes, _Hayley thought. _Life is going to get _very _interesting._


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed--you are all too kind, and it is much appreciated!

**Chapter 4: Red Light Reunions**

"Morning!" Jason said, as Kimberly entered the lair, coffee in hand.

"Morning!" she yawned, stretching.

"Sleep well?"

"Like a rock," she lied, deciding it was too early in the day for Jason to already be worried about her.

"Good, because we have a long day ahead of us," Jason said, nodding towards the screen he was sitting near. "Trini has been working on the prophecy all morning. Looks like one of us has to go to Amsterdam."

Kimberly looked at her coffee blankly. "There's never going to be a morning where I get to finish a cup of coffee in peace, is there?"

"Says the woman to the man who has been up since five am."

Kimberly smiled, and sat down next to Jason. "Where's Tommy?" she asked in a low voice, trying her hardest to appear casual.

"It _is_ a school day," Jason said, shrugging, doing his best to ignore the surge of guilt that welled up in his chest.

Kimberly laughed. "I forget about the rest of the world, sometimes," she said. "Funny thing, especially since I'm supposed to be saving it."

"I still can't get over Tommy as a teacher. If I had a nickel for every time he lost his homework I could pay the President to do this for me."

"I know," Kimberly said, smiling with affectionate memories. "Remember that time he let me tie ribbons on his wrist to help him remember?"

"Yeah, he bitched about that all day. He thought the ribbons were way too girly, but he was terrified of hurting your feelings."

Kimberly smiled. "Yeah." She said softly, her smile fading. "He was always worried about that." She cleared her throat. "So, Amsterdam?"

"Well, we think. Trini has discovered that we're going to need the past Rangers, present Rangers, and future Rangers. We think we found one of the future ones."

"Did the prophecy mention where exactly in Amsterdam this Ranger is going to be?"

"Well, at this point, I'm not sure I believe Trini when she says they're in Amsterdam. She completely pulled that one out of thin air."

"That's it? That's all we know? There's some new Ranger wandering around Amsterdam and one of us has to find them?"

"At this point, yes."

"How helpful. Lythmore didn't spare any expense when it came to the details, did he?"

"You aren't kidding."

"Great. Square One."

"I think we've passed that one before."

"I haven't had enough caffeine to think you're funny, Jason."

"And apparently not enough to want to put on any makeup either. Yikes."

She tried to glower at him, but found herself laughing, in spite of herself. She wrapped her arm around his neck and gave him a side hug.

"Jerk."

"Priss."

"Ass."

"Buttface."

"Jock."

"Limber Kimber."

"That one isn't an insult."

"It was in the locker room."

She smacked him on the back of the head, but couldn't help the peals of laughter that escaped her mouth.

"This is all going to be okay, right?" she said, resting her head on his shoulder. "Tommy is going to start talking to me, and we're going to figure out the rest of the prophecy, aren't we?"

Jason paused, quite positive that he didn't want to enlighten Kimberly on the happenings of his and Tommy's conversation that had taken place last night. "Yes," he lied. "Everything will be just fine."

Granted, the conversation in question had been purely the work of Jason's lack of subtlety.

"Thanks for the couch, man," Jason had said, removing his shirt and preparing to pass out.

"Not a problem," Tommy had said, spreading out the fitted sheet on the pull out mattress. "I'm sorry I don't have anything better. I mean, I take it you and Kimberly aren't sharing a room or anything."

Jason's eyes communicated a look of protective disdain. "Of course not. She's like my sister."

"Hey," Tommy shrugged, his voice fakely indifferent. "It's not my business. And I wouldn't care if you did. I always thought you two might have had a thing going on."

"When?" Jason was entirely too tired to try and be tactful. "In the five seconds a day I saw her when her lips weren't attached to yours?"

"I meant after you both left. When you went to the Global Summit and she went to Florida."

"Don't be ridiculous, Tommy." He paused, and then, with a side long glance, spoke again. "_His_ name was Ian."

Tommy had his head bowed, faking intense concentration on making sure the corner of the sheet was tucked in perfectly. "Who?" he said, the questioning tone in his voice completely forced.

"Please. You know who. The one she 'left' you for then quickly regretted." Jason sighed, knowing he was overstepping his bounds, but he wanted certain things out in the open. "He proposed, you know?" Tommy's body went stiff. "She told him no. Told him that she couldn't because she didn't love him like she was supposed to."

"Oh." Tommy said, his voice decidedly uncaring. "Like I said, it's not my business and I really don't care."

Jason ran his fingers through his hair, knowing the conversation was at its end.

"How's Kat?" he asked.

"She's fine. We speak occasionally."

"Are you two—"

"No…no. We ended it a long time ago. Right after we were relieved of our powers, and we left for college."

"Was it mutual?"

Tommy paused. "Well, she understood…I think."

Jason nodded. "That must be nice. Someone understanding someone else's decision, especially being faced with long distance separation. I'm glad Kat is so forgiving and you two can still talk." Jason punctuated this with a smile.

Tommy glared at him now, then sighed. "I'm not fighting with you, Jason. You're one of my best friends. I know I wasn't exactly…welcoming to Kimberly, but it's hard for me. To see her after all this time. It's not something you need to understand. I just don't like her being here."

"Please, be nice. She's suffered too."

"I doubt it."

"_Try._"

"I'll try."

"That's all I ask."

"We might as well be strangers, Jason."

"But at one point, she meant more to you than anything else in the world. Please try to remember that."

Tommy had looked straight through him. "I don't want to." He said shortly. "I can't live my life in the past. She and I can't go back, no matter how hard we try."

Presently, Jason looked at Kimberly, and knew that it was best she didn't know anything about the conversation. She needed a reason to keep on fighting beside Tommy. He wasn't going to give her an excuse not to.

"So Trini is sure this future Ranger is in Amsterdam?"

"She says Billy is almost certain. She says that Ted's already created some henchmen through the efforts of his followers. Apparently, they're like putties on crack."

"And they're going after the new Rangers?"

"They're going after all of us—past, present and future. No one is safe."

"And yet, we're still sending only one of us to Amsterdam?"

Jason paused. "Good point."

Kimberly sighed. "Why don't we just head out. We can stop by the Cyber Café on the way out of town, let Hayley know what's going on. Tommy has a life now, and it's unfair of us to come back in and take it over."

Jason met her eyes and instantly felt bad—Kimberly was in more pain than he had seen her in for a very long time.

"Kim, I really think we need to stick together." He said, slowly. "I know it's hard for you to be around Tommy, but his place is secluded _and_ it has everything we need if we're going to defeat this guy. You're going to have to at least try to make this work."

"I am trying!" she said, hurt. "I seriously doubt you'd be jumping up and down to stay here if your ex was completely ignoring you."

"You saw each other after the whole Malagore thing. It shouldn't be this awkward!"

"Oh, you mean the time where he completely looked right through me then told me that he was glad I was safe, but it didn't change anything between us? You're right, that's not awkward at all."

"Fine," Jason said, beginning to lose his patience. "I get that you're scared. I get that you've been hurt. You can go to Amsterdam, but I'm staying here."

"Fine!" she snapped. "It makes the most sense. I'm the one who's lived in Europe. I've actually been to Amsterdam. I'll go."

"Fabulous!" Jason snapped back. "Here's your ticket."

"You already have my ticket?" Kimberly said, her annoyance fading into surprise.

Jason shrugged. "I've spent the last two years with you, Kim. At this point, you don't have to actually verbalize your thoughts for me to know them."

She gave him a half smile, then lightly pushed his shoulder.

"You two crack me up!" Hayley's light voice caused their heads to snap towards the door.

"Hey Hayley!" Kimberly said, her eyes steadily focused on the figure behind her. "Tommy? What are you doing home? School can't be out by now."

"I quit," He said, his voice tired. "Looks like I have to save the world again. The Principal understood. She's been involved in something like this before."

"Really?" Jason said, his ears perking. "Maybe we should start a club."

Kimberly managed a dignified eye roll, then tentatively turned her attentions back to Tommy. "So you really quit?" Kimberly asked him, her voice flat.

Tommy shrugged. "I had to. Trini called me, and had booked me a ticket to Amsterdam. Said it was really important I go."

Kimberly froze, then turned towards Jason with a glare that could melt a glacier. "Wait a second—you said—"

"That you should go to Amsterdam!" Jason finished, smiling. "What a great surprise that Tommy is going too. I have always felt that it was too dangerous for one person to go alone, especially being a girl, Kim. You never know what could happen."

Kimberly was significantly more concerned with finding a weapon to stab Jason with than she was attempting to find an appropriate response. Tommy's expression, on the other hand, was one slightly more alarmed.

"Wait—" he said, looking at Jason with an expression of pure panic. "I can't go—"

"—To Amsterdam without a proper send off!" Jason said, spreading his arms wide in a jovial gesture. "After all, we're all friends here. But, most importantly, we're all adults. That means wine, beer, and the unspoken agreement that we're all going to be mature about whatever issues you _think_ you might have with this arrangement, okay?"

Tommy's mouth snapped shut, his eyes murderous. That smug grin was going to have to go.

"When do we leave?" Kimberly said, her tone dejected.

"Tonight," Jason said, triumphant.

"Can't wait," Tommy muttered, his anger rising, turning to walk back outside. His mind was spinning.

_This is ridiculous, _he thought. _Jason can't just walk into my life and tell me what I have to do. _

_And what exactly is it that you want to do? _A buried voice asked. _Tell her that you hate her? That you can't stand to be around her? Pull her hair while you're at it. Then you can chase her around the playground, you Ass. She's _over _it. She's over you. Whatever you think you deserve, she disagrees._

Tommy stomped up the stairs and threw the door open. "I need a drink," He muttered to himself, surveying the damage Hurricane Jason had done to his living room.

Tommy rarely made it a practice to begin drinking at the mid-afternoon point, but any mention of Kimberly immediately warranted an exception, as Kat had found out one incredibly horrible night.

He found the whisky and poured it into his ice-filled glace, his head aching, trying to forget a particularly nasty conversation with Hayley that had occurred a few, mere, minutes ago.

"Tommy!" Hayley had said, hands on her hip and that annoyingly persistent look in her eyes. "You can't ignore someone who is sitting right in front of you!"

"I'm not ignoring her!" He had said with a sniff. "I just don't know what to say to her!"

"How about 'Hey! What have you been up to these past few years? Really? Oh! By the way! I'm still in love with you and want you to bear my children—"

Tommy threw the dishrag at her.

"Okay, well maybe not that extreme—"

"Why do you assume I'm still in love with her?" He said, his voice dropping to a low growl. "Why does everyone assume my life stopped when Kimberly Hart broke up with me. I moved on, dated other people. It was _five_ years ago, for Christ's sake!"

"And yet, here you are acting like some sexually frustrated teenager—"

"I am _not_ sexually frustrated!"

"—who is pissed off because a girl rejected his offer to take him to the prom."

"It is _so_ much more intense than that, and you know it! We saved the freaking world together, we were each other's fir—the closest person in each others' lives. Then she just walks away from it all for someone else, someone she had clearly already developed a relationship with before I even got the stupid Dear John letter. That's bullshit, and you know it."

"I get that you're upset, Tommy. I do! But it was five years ago. Don't you think there could be some type of forgiveness? I mean, I really think she still—"

"No. Hayley, please. I'll be as nice to her as I can. But I can't trust her. I thought she was someone she wasn't. I sacrificed so much for her, and then she betrayed me. It doesn't matter how much time has passed. I can't sit here and pretend its okay."

And he had walked away, the confusion in his heart refusing to be quelled, feeding the fire that burned within him.

- - -

Kimberly threw clothes in her bag, mentally burning Jason in effigy. She was almost positive he was in on this, hatching a secret plot to rekindle Kimberly and Tommy's friendship. She, however, knew first hand that it wasn't going to be as easy as sending them on some romantic getaway into the heart of the Red Light District. This was going to be brutal.

She ignored the knock on the door, knowing very well that Jason had come to make nice.

"Kim?" He said, poking his head in. "I wanted to see if you needed any help. Hayley already offered to drive you to the airport."

"I'm fine," she snapped, pitching a black tank top into her bag with more force than was necessary. "What do you want?"

"To make sure you aren't plotting to murder me in my sleep."

"No promises."

"I promise, this is for the best. The more time you spend with each other, the more comfortable you'll become. He's going to forget his stupid grudge and make nice—"

"Jason, you know Tommy. I'm fairly confident his grudge against me is the _only_ thing he hasn't forgotten."

"Fair point."

Kimberly sighed. "I just want you to know that because of what you and Trini did, I am going to be a nervous wreck for a solid three days."

"I promise you, he needs some time."

"Time by himself! Not time with me all the time. He's going to bite my head off!"

"Please, Kimberly. Be a big girl. The world needs you, and it's important that you and Tommy remember that there's something out there that is twenty times bigger than the two of you."

Kimberly bit back a remark, fear rising up in her chest. Truthfully, she wanted Tommy to just acknowledge her. Even bitterness was better than pretending she wasn't in the room. At least if he was mean to her she could still pretend he cared.

"I promise you, I won't be the problem." Kimberly said, turning back to her half packed bag. "I will try. But I'm not going to sit around and wait for him to be nice to me. I'm twenty six years old. I'm not going to play the same games I played in high school."

"That's fair enough."

Kimberly sighed again, and checked her watch. "When do I need to be ready by?"

"Thirty minutes sound okay?"

"Says the executioner to the prisoner."

"Spare me the melodrama! We are all adults. It's going to be fine!"

"Yeah, Yeah. Now get out so I can pack."

Jason huffed out of the room, and Kimberly closed the door behind him.

"It will be okay." She whispered to herself. "You aren't some high school girl anymore. You're not in love with him. You are all you have and don't forget it."

She threw the remaining pair of pants into her bag, and snapped it shut.

- - -

Tommy spoke only to Hayley the entire car trip to LA, leaving a silent Kimberly in the back seat, dread increasing with every word he said.

_This is a mistake, _she repeated in her head. _This is a mistake. This is a mistake. _This _is a _mistake!

- - -

"We're here!" Hayley said, her voice ringing with fake cheeriness as a result of being locked in the world's most awkward car ride for an hour and a half. "You two have a great trip, and good luck with finding the newest Ranger."

Kimberly smiled weakly at her, and pulled herself out of the car, looking around the airport.

Kimberly had always loved airports—they reminded her of the long, wonderful days she had spent with her Uncle. She loved the feeling of soaring above everyone else, and giggled ecstatically when the plane unexpectedly lurched downward suddenly and her stomach dropped. Yet, her favorite part was always coming back to the airport, to see all the families waiting for their loved ones, happiness and longing written all over their faces. She remembered Tommy's face at the airport at Christmas time, when she was allowed to come home and rejoin her normal life for a brief moment. He had been standing there, so handsome, with the most genuine smile she had ever seen and an armful of roses, just for her. She had ran to him, jumped in his arms, and kissed him. It was the happiest she had been in a long time.

Today, however, she could not understand what it was that had ever drawn her to the airports. It was crowded, full of people who were weary with travel, forced to endure long waits in the overcrowded sitting areas, forced to mingle with people they cared nothing about and would probably never see again. This was not a place of joy—this was a prison.

"We need to check in," Tommy said, his tone void of all emotion save a darkness Kimberly had never heard before.

She nodded, her eyes blank, her chin held high. She kept a good five feet between them at all times, and her eyes steadily ahead of her.

_Put your game face on, Kimberly._ She told herself. _All you have left is your self respect. _

They checked in, and made their way to the gate, always in silence. Kimberly knew she was not going to make the first move. She had tried to engage him in conversation ever since she had reappeared into his life, and all attempts had failed. The ball was in his court.

They boarded the plane in silence, Tommy only acknowledging her to step aside and let her in closest to the window, the obvious arrangement as she was the smallest. She pushed herself as close to the window as she could, pulled a blanket over her and closed her eyes, keeping her body tense to ensure no accidental contact would occur.

She pretended to sleep all the way to their flight from New York City, only briefly awaking during their layover to respond to Trini's urgent message.

"It's a boy," she had told her. "We think his name starts with a D. According to the prophecy, he'll be living in the more crass areas of Amsterdam. Be prepared for the worst. Remember, if you get attacked, _be careful._ Along with the fact I don't want to bury my best friends, the world will stand no chance. You have to get this kid out of here, and both of you can't get hurt. If you have to run away, _run._"

Kimberly had told her she would, and relayed the message to Tommy in as few words as possible, before boarding the plane again and quickly returning to her pretend sleeping. _After all_, she reasoned. _He can't ignore me if I'm sleeping._

Her efforts worked wonderfully, as soon she fell into a deep sleep, one that consisted of assorted dreams with appearances by no other than her silent traveling companion.

Her real mortification, however, came when she opened her eyes. Having forgotten, at least for a moment, who she was and why she was on a plane, she was mortified to find herself snuggled against Tommy's shoulder.

_Great! _she thought to herself, cautiously opening one eye and slowly trying to read Tommy's face. _Just when life couldn't possibly get anymore awkward…_

She was relieved, however, to see Tommy had also succumbed to exhaustion, and was snoring quite contentedly in his chair. Seizing her opportunity, she sat up in a flash and immediately resumed her position by the window, sensing the bags under her eyes and praying she remembered to pack her concealer.

The pilot quickly came over the intercom, announcing they were fifteen minutes until landing, and would they please return their seat backs and tray tables to the upright position. Kimberly thanked heavens that she had awoken before Tommy did, who quickly stirred to life with a panicked jolt.

"Bad dreams?" she asked, her eyebrows rising in what she hoped conveyed cool indifference.

"Yeah," he grumbled, simultaneously stretching and pulling as far away from her as the restrictive seat would allow. "Terrible."

"We land soon. It's going to be near evening time. Trini said that was the best time to try to find this kid."

"Fine. If that's what Trini said." Tommy's tone suggested finality. There was nothing left she could say.

Kimberly couldn't help herself. "What did you dream about, anyway?" she asked him, her voice casual.

He sent her a dark look. "Mayhem." He said. "Absolute mayhem."

_- - -_

_"What's happening to me?" Kimberly said, panic in her voice. _

_"Your body!" Billy responded, his eyes nervous. "Her body is experiencing some kind of energy drain!"_

_Tommy felt his blood run cold. "Zordon, come in!" he spoke, frantically. "Kimberly's power coin is missing. She seems to be getting weaker!" _

_And then, back at the Command Center: her body, pulsating with pink energy going limp, falling into his arms._

Just think, Tommy! _He had told himself. _Don't panic. Kim needs you.

_"We can't lose her," He had said, morose. "_I _can't lose her."_

_She was just laying there, her eyes void of all life, her breathing faltering. _

_A flash of light, and then, Zedd appearing in the command center, laughing gleefully at Kimberly's seemingly eminent fate._

_Lord Zedd was destroying the only thing he had ever loved, and doing it with a smile on his face._

_And in that moment, he had discovered something completely new—a part of him he had never known to exist._

_He was fully prepared to kill Lord Zedd. Not just kill, but murder—slowly. Torturously. If anything happened to Kim, a hair on her head out of place, Zedd would feel his rage for an eternity. _

_And in an instant, Tommy became a man. He had shed his innocence and in its place was a new, raw emotion, one that he could not name. He was fully prepared to die trying to save her, even more prepared to kill, if it was necessary. This time, he was going to destroy Zedd, not for the world, but for _her.

_And then, he was fighting Zedd, his rage at a boiling point but his body weakened by previous battles. _

_"Just wait until I tell your pink friend how much courage you had at the end," Zedd sneered._

_Tommy's mind was a whirl of emotions—regret, longing, fear. He was never going to see Kimberly again. Never hear her voice._

_He made a vow, at that very second. It didn't matter what was going to happen to him. He was going to make sure Kimberly's pain was avenged. Even if it destroyed him, he was going to make sure no one could ever hurt her again. _

_Tommy had spent his life focusing his mind and body to work as one, to fight with his being in harmony. And yet, in this one second, a lifetime of work was being destroyed. He had tapped into a stronger, more powerful source, one that brought with it a darkness he could have never foreseen. _

_It was in that moment that Tommy Oliver found passion. _

_It did not lessen when the danger was over. The fire that burned in Tommy's heart would not be extinguished. He had almost lost her, and he would never forget that feeling. _

_"Tommy, I'm scared." She told him later, meeting his eyes with a look of honesty only the two of them could share. _

_He tried to comfort her, he tried to tell her he would be there for her. But the words would not do the fire justice. The fire begged for action, to comfort her as much as he could. _

_"Let's go back to my place," he suggested in a throaty voice. "We can hang out. Watch tv. My parents are out of town."_

_She looked at him for a moment, with eyes he had never seen before, and he understood. The fire was within her too. _

_"Yes," she whispered, the hairs on the back of his neck rising with anticipation. "That would be good." _

_And then, that night. The both of them, alone and wanting to quench the burning in both of them within each other. He could smell her hair, taste her, feel her skin against his, their fingers laced together. She laid in his arms afterwards for hours, resting her head on his chest as he rubbed the small of her back, their passion satisfied._

_"This is going to change everything," she had said, her voice lazy and content. _

_"Good." He had replied, holding her closer._

_Another flash: the rest of their time together. How happy they had been, how their relationship had changed for the better. The fire burned, contented. They were together, and the world was how it ought to be._

_And then, that damn Coach. The fire burned, and Tommy thought about telling her that he wanted her to stay. He knew that if he had asked her, she would have abandoned her dreams. _

_But he couldn't. He loved her too much. Her happiness meant more than anything else, and the fire could be suppressed. He would watch her go, and know that she would come back to him and only him._

_And then, she didn't. _

_Everything he thought he understood about Kimberly, everything he thought he had understood about himself vanished within a poorly worded letter. The girl he was willing to die for, to kill for, to risk enslaving his best friends under an evil master for, betrayed him. _

_And there was nothing he could do._

The captain came back on the intercom, jarring him from his dreams and back to life, once again, sitting next to the girl that had tried to destroy him and had almost been successful.

He felt the fire's flames, but would not feed it anymore. One moment of weakness had brought him a lifetime of change—he was Lancelot after leaving Guinevere's bedroom, an ancient warrior stripped of his powers of reason and goodness. The fire was in his blood, no matter how much he tried to pretend it wasn't. Over time, it had burned a hole somewhere within him, a hole he was certain could never be fixed. Kimberly had taken a part of him with her, and he wanted it back.

The grimace on his face was warning enough that Kimberly should not try and attempt anymore conversation. Instead, the two of them resumed their silence, exiting the plane, getting their luggage, and checking into the hotel Trini had booked.

"I need to shower," Kimberly finally said, throwing her bag onto the bed.

"Fine." He said simply, ignoring the flash of heat that surged through his body. "I'll take a walk and find dinner."

He turned briskly and walked outside, letting the door close behind him with a solid click. He never thought he'd see the day where a plethora of drug addicts and prostitutes would be more inviting than a hotel room with Kimberly.

- - -

Kimberly waited until she was sure the door was closed, then immediately picked up the phone and dialed Trini's number.

"Hello?" a sleep filled voice answered.

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you," Kimberly hissed. "And you better be _so_ thankful there's an ocean separating the two of us right now."

"That bad, huh?"

"In the past twelve hours we've been together, we've said less than twenty words to one another. At this point, I think I've created a new emotion. Mix a little bit of bitterness with a large portion of awkward and angsty, and you have exactly what I'm feeling."

"Like, bawksty?"

"Okay, now I _really_ hate you."

Trini yawned. "Kim, I didn't want to have to do this to you, I promise. I know how much it hurt you. Please, understand, I have my reasons."

"Care to enlighten me?"

Trini paused. "I can't."

"This has something to do with the prophecy, doesn't it? Tommy and I being here, in Amsterdam, together. Why won't you tell me what it means?"

"Because _I'm_ not sure what it means."

"So it does mean something?"

"Kim, I seriously don't know. You're my best friend, and I love you with all my heart and I wish there was a better answer I could give you. All I know is the prophecy said it was important that the Pink one and the Green one seek out the new Black."

Kimberly paused, her body sore from the plane ride.

"Please," Trini continued. "You have to trust me. As soon as I know more, I'll tell you."

Kimberly sighed, lying back on the bed. As mad as she was, it was good to hear Trini's voice.

"Am I going to get to see you soon?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"Please, girl. Before you know it you and I are going to be roommates, just like old times."

Kimberly laughed, comfortable for the first time in days. "Thanks Trini."

"You're welcome."

"I'll see you soon?"

"Sooner than soon."

Kimberly hung up the phone, and took a deep breath. "It's going to be okay," she whispered to herself, closing her eyes. Even without Tommy, she still had her friends.

- - -

Trini hung up the phone, her smile immediately falling into a look of guilt.

"Zach, I _hate_ this," she said, staring at one of her best friends from across the room.

Zach's arms were folded, his brow creased. "So do I," he said at last. "But what else can we do?"

"I can't keep lying to Kimberly. She's my best friend. Eventually, she's going to pick up on something."

"How do you think Jason feels? He says it's getting to the point of being unbearable."

"There just has to be another way," Trini said. "We're not reading the prophecy right, or something. She can't—"

"She's not!" Zach said, his tone adamant. "We won't let that happen. We'll figure something out, Trini."

Trini was near hysterical. "How do you know? Maybe we shouldn't have sent her to Amsterdam. She's at her wit's end! Jason should have gone."

Zach paused, his expression hesitant. "Should we—" he shuddered. "—Tell Tommy?"

Trini dug her fingernails into the side of her arms willing herself not to cry. "I'm not sure…"

"Yeah…I didn't think so."

They fell into a tortured silence.

"We're going to have to tell her," Trini said. "We're going to have to tell her what it says. You know that."

"Trini!" Zach said seriously. "You know perfectly well what she would do—"

"I don't want her to be unprepared!"

"Tommy has made his choice. Jason says there's absolutely no hope. You _know_ what that means, Trini. We can't focus on anything else but keeping Kimberly safe. If there comes a time when she absolutely must know, we'll tell her. Until then, we just have to try and protect her."

Trini felt tears sting her eyes. "I hate this." She said, her voice choking.

Zach walked over and pulled her into a hug. "I know," he said, his eyes distant. "I do too." He paused for a minute. "There has to be something we missed. We'll go back over it tomorrow. We'll figure this out. I promise."

Trini wiped her eyes, the strength coming back into her voice. "You're absolutely right." She said. "We won't let Kimberly down."

- - -

"I see you dressed for the occasion," Tommy said sarcastically, as Kimberly met him outside wearing a lower cut black top.

"I don't want to appear suspicious," she said back, her eyes roaming over Tommy's black clad torso. "I'm sorry, are we in the Matrix?"

"When did you stop wearing pink?"

"When do you plan on submitting yourself to the Guiness Book of World Records as the "World's Oldest Ranger?"

"Let's go," he said, his jaw tight. Annoying banter fueled the fire, and he was currently in a fire killing business.

"Trini said he'd more than likely be in the Red Light District. It's about three blocks this way."

"And how exactly would you know that?"

"I lived in Europe for a few years, remember?"

"Not particularly."

They fell into a disgruntled silence. Kimberly had used her time talking to Trini to gather her strength and prepare herself for whatever mental battle Tommy was going to wage against her. She was not going to let him hurt her anymore.

"It's this way," she said finally, taking a left. Tommy followed her and watched as the infamous Red Light District fell into his view.

"It's not as bad as I thought it would be," he said, clearly confused.

"It's kind of a tourist trap, at this point," Kimberly admitted. "Doesn't mean there isn't trouble to be found, especially if you're looking for it."

"Let's go, then." Tommy said briskly, stepping forward. "Maybe it would be better if we split up."

"But Trini said—"

Kimberly's response was interrupted by another voice, one Tommy could not recognize but instantly hated.

"Kimberly!"

She turned suddenly and stifled a gasp.

_Just when the situation couldn't get any worse_, she thought angrily.

"Kimberly! It's me!"

"Ian!" she said, a forced smile on her face refusing to betray the suprise she felt. "What are you doing here?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Psychedelic Trip Down Memory Lane 

Tommy raised his eyebrows, all attempts to quell the rage that unexpectedly burned within him unsuccessful. "Ian?" He said sharply, without meaning to. "Your fiancé?"

"He was never my fiancé," Kimberly hissed, in a low voice. "And how did you know he even proposed?"

"Never mind." Tommy said, his narrowed eyes focused on the decidedly Nordic looking man quickly approaching them.

"Kimberly!" Ian said, coming closer to her and enveloping her in a huge hug. "I can't believe it!"

"Ian!" She said, her tone significantly less excited. "What are you doing here?"

"I had come to Paris to find you!" He said, his voice lowering. "Your mother said she hadn't heard from you in a little while and that you had been doing some extensive traveling. I was with some friends—you remember Kent and Lars? Well, we decided to take a detour to see Amsterdam before we went back to Florida," He stared at her for a long time, a childlike twinkle shining in his deep blue eyes. "How have you been?"

"Fine!" Kimberly said, her smile tight. She was _so_ not in the mental condition to have this conversation.

"I'm sorry! I'm being so rude!" Ian said, stepping back and acknowledging Tommy for the first time, who glowered at him from his position next to Kimberly. "I'm Ian, man." He said, stretching his hand out to shake Tommy's hand. "Nice to meet you."

Tommy regarded the hand coolly, and kept his hands steadily by his side. "Tommy," he replied, with a tight jerk of his head.

_Here we go._ Kimberly thought bitterly.

Ian's eyes immediately registered. "No way," he said, his confident smirk disappearing. He turned back to Kimberly. "You never told me you and the famous Tommy Oliver got back together."

Kimberly kept her gaze steadily on Ian. "We didn't." she said, surprised at how strong she sounded.

"Then why are you—"

"Business," Tommy said, involuntarily flexing his muscles, and briefly wondering if homicide was included in the plethora of sketchy activities Amsterdam had legalized.

"Good," Ian said, meeting Tommy's eyes, a coolness blowing through them. "Then I'm not too late,"

_Shit, Shit, Shit._ Kimberly thought.

"Too late?" Tommy said questioningly, crossing his arms, and sending daggers in Ian's direction.

"Well," Kimberly said, springing into action. "Good seeing you, but we _really_ must be going—"

"Hold on a minute," Ian said, reaching out to gently grab her arm.

"Don't make her repeat herself," Tommy said, crossing his arms.

"Easy, Tiger," Ian said, stepping in front of Tommy. "I'm allowed to talk to my fiancé—"

"I am _not _your fiancé!" Kimberly said, exasperated. "And I'm sorry, but we have a job—"

"Exactly what _job_ are you planning on accomplishing in Amsterdam at one in the morning?" Ian said, his eyes narrowing. "Drugs? Prostitution? Jesus, Kimberly, you used to _be_ someone."

Kimberly sighed, not looking at Tommy who was staring between Kimberly and Ian with a disgusted look on his face. Shaking his head, he turned and walked away.

"Tommy!" She said, surprised. "Where are you going—"

"Kim, wait!" Ian said, stepping in front of her. "I really need to talk to you," He cast a meaningful look at Tommy, who had stopped a few feet away. "Do you mind if I steal your _coworker_ for a couple of minutes?"

Tommy gave him a penetrating glare, his eyes almost mocking. "That all the time you need?"  
Kimberly now resisted the urge to kick Tommy and grudgingly followed as Ian drug her to a secluded corner of the street.

"Ian, what is it?" she said pulling away from him, her eyes weary.

"Look, I get that you don't want to be married, alright? But we were such a huge part of each other's lives. You can't just leave without saying goodbye in the middle of the night. We had some great years together…doesn't that mean anything to you?"

Kimberly said nothing, her mind floating back to another conversation very similar to this one.

- - -

She hadn't been expecting him to call

She had been in her dorm room all day, determined to spend her one off day alone. The week had brought a building of tension, one she couldn't quite understand. Every decision she had ever made was being called into question, and for once she didn't think her head would withstand the pressure.

_You've made a mistake!_ A voice in her head cried. _Did you honestly think writing the letter was going to change anything? This isn't what you want—_

_It is! _Another voice spoke, gently. _I am not a Power Ranger, anymore. I am not in Angel Grove. This is the real world and I want to live in it._

_And Tommy?_

She willed herself not to cry. It was over. She had ended it, to make herself happy. It was about time she started doing just that.

The phone rang, jarring her from her thoughts. She regarded it blankly.

_It's probably Ian, again._ She thought grimly. _He's left twenty messages already._

Sighing, she picked up the phone. Better to talk to him now then have him leave another twenty messages.

"Hello?" she said, infusing a fake cheeriness in her voice. Ian always could tell if she had been thinking, and would undoubtedly give her a hard time. "Don't think!" he told her condescendingly. "Thinking destroys all spontaneity, murders adventure. How the hell can you find passion if you can't even manage adventure?"

There was a biting silence on the other end, and then: "Kim?"

Her heart froze in her chest, her mind spinning in a nervous frenzy.

"Tommy?" she whispered, shock tearing through her senses.

"I…I…ugh, got your letter." He said, his voice shaking slightly. "I just wanted to get a few things cleared up."

"Tommy," she said again. "Please let me—"

"No," his voice replied, stronger now. "You've said all you need to. It's my turn to talk." She bit her lip and closed her eyes, willing herself to keep breathing against the panic that was attempting to suffocate her.

"I realized a lot after getting that letter," the voice on the other end spoke. "Mostly, that I haven't been thinking clearly. You must think I'm so naïve."

"Tommy, I don't—"

"Kimberly!" his tone was more biting. "Let me talk."

She fell silent, tears welling up in her eyes.

_Passion,_ she thought. _It is your destiny._

"I should have known you could never love me from a distance. I should have known better than to let you tear down at my discipline every moment of every goddamn day. I should have known better, but I didn't. That is my own fault."

The first tear spilled over, an usher to a grief she would not let herself feel until years later. She said nothing.

"But that is all I will take the credit for," he said. "I realize that these things happen, that people fall in and out of love. But I never thought it would happen to us. Never, in a million years. And I know I can't blame you for that, but I do. And I think I always will. So you can move on, get married, do whatever the hell you want to do. But if its my friendship you're after, you can forget it. I can't be your friend. I can't look you in the eyes and smile at you and mean it. I just can't. There's too many memories."

_Love is not sweet and innocent_, she repeated to herself, tears flowing freely now. _Love is passion. I need the passion. _

"Jesus, Kimberly," he said again. "I gave you _everything_. And you can't even make a damn phone call?"

She couldn't answer him. The line fell silent for what felt like hours.

"I'm moving on with my life," he told her, finally. "Kat helped me realize something the other day—"

At the mention of Kat's name, Kimberly could no longer control herself. "Tommy, just listen—"

"No," he snapped, voice heavy with pain. "I'm done listening to you, Kimberly. You've made your decision—"

"But you need to know—"

The door to her room swung open. "Hey baby!" Ian said, striding in her room, that typical smirk on his face.

Kimberly's voice died in her throat, and it was all she could do to close her eyes.

Tommy's voice echoed in her ears. "Is that him?" He asked sharply, his voice resonating with an angry pain she had never heard before.

She couldn't answer him, too shamed at her sins laid out before her.

"Goodbye, Kimberly." Tommy said with finality, and the line clicked.

And, as if a light from God shown down on Kimberly, she understood.

_My God,_ she thought with horror. _What have I done?_

Ian bent over her and kissed her. "What have you done all day?"

She stared up at him, eyes searching his face, overcome by a strange new emotion. Everything that had happened over the last two months suddenly hit her: losing her powers; nearly dying; her stay in the hospital; the horrifying feeling of being overcome with exhaustion; fear at her future; separation from her mother; that night with Tommy—if she let all that in, it would destroy her. She couldn't handle it, couldn't understand it. Kimberly had to run away.

"Hi," she said to Ian, forcing the overwhelming grief out of her mind. "I've missed you."

She stared into Ian's eyes now, Amsterdam slowly coming back into view. She had tried so hard to be happy with him, tried so hard to permanently vanish the grief that snuck back into her life when she least expect it—but it was futile. Grief would not die, just as the passion that had seized her that one night with Tommy would not extinguish itself. She had destroyed it all, and in its place built up meaningless constructs that she had hoped would distract her from the war waging in her mind. It would be here, in the city of false dreams forced upon one's consciousness, that she would see the truth. She understood, and realized that they were only the products of a misguided, scared little girl.

So, for the last time, Kimberly stared into the eyes of her heart's greatest lie, confronted the false truths she had protected all these years, and set to tear them all down.

_And all that's left, _she thought, as the dust in her mind settled. _Is the emptiness. _

"Then so be it," she whispered to the darkness.

"What?" Ian said, confused. He had been speaking for the better part of five minutes.

"It's useless, Ian." She said, her voice hollow.

"I have no choice," she said, her voice trying to maintain some kind of soothing quality. "I have a different life now. I'm not some bubbly gymnast anymore,"

"And what exactly are you?" He said, his hurt quickly turning into disgust. "When have you worn the color black? Are you mourning something?"

_You have no idea._

"No," she said, her tone filled with fake certainty. "I've just gotten older. The past is what it is, and I can't change it."

"Would you want to?"

"Yes." She hadn't meant to say that.

He reacted as if he had been slapped, then vigorously shook his head. "No," he said. "I don't believe in coincidence. I believe I ran into you for a reason. That has to mean something!"

"Not everything in life _means_ something, Ian!" Kimberly said, exhausted. "When you start looking for meaning in everything, taking the tiny, most insignificant little detail and making it into some sort of sign—you'll lead yourself down on the wrong path before you drive yourself crazy!"

"Like falling back in love with a guy you betrayed?" Ian said, his eyes darting to Tommy.

"Don't you dare bring him into this _or_ presume something about the nature of me and Tommy's relationship."

"Don't you mean you're _working_ relationship? I'm surprised he even still talks to you."

"Ian, I never meant to hurt you."

"Don't you get it, Kimberly? Our entire relationship was a lie!" He looked at her, disgust rising in his features.

"No it wasn't—"

"Then you're lying to yourself." Ian spat at her. "You've told yourself these last four years were you running towards passion, to _find yourself_, or something of that bullshit."

Kimberly paused, unsure of what to say.

Ian continued. "I realized something the other day," he said, anger showing in his features. "All this time, you haven't been running towards anything—not passion, certainly not me, not even gymnastics. You know what you've been doing?"

"What?" she snapped, wanting out of this conversation.

"You've been running away. Running away from something that happened. I don't know if it was between you or Tommy, or you and Angel fucking Grove. All I know is that you've been running for years, and I've just been along for the ride."

A coldness tickled her veins. "I never promised you anything," she said, turning from him.

_Wait_, she thought, looking around. _Where did Tommy go?_

"He walked away about five seconds after we started talking," Ian called from behind her, reading her mind. She closed her eyes and willed Ian to stop talking.

Naturally, she was unsuccessful. "It hurts, doesn't it? Having someone you love walk away from you."

"I don't love him," she said, her voice flat.

He sneered at her. "Let's be honest. You never stopped."

"_Goodbye_ Ian," she said again, striding away, hearing the heels of her boots reverberate against the cobble stoned street.

She found Tommy waiting for her around the corner of the next building.

"Are you done catching up?" He sneered, hands in his pockets.

"Spare me," she snapped, turning to scan the increasingly crowded streets. The coldness inside her was expanding, overtaking her grief and transforming it into anger.

He stared at her, not expecting the anger he found in her voice.

"What did he want?"

Kimberly didn't answer, but kept walking. Tommy followed her, staying a few strides back, an embittered shadow.

_No more pretending,_ She thought bitterly, striding forward to rejoin the drunken masses.

- -

They searched in silence, carefully reading the faces of the boys who passed them, hoping for a sudden jolt inspiration.

Tommy could feel a change in Kimberly, a growing coldness that cut him deeply.

_It's not your concern_, he told himself sternly. _You and Kimberly are not friends. You have no right to ask. _

He kept a few paces behind her at all times, occasionally casting sharp glances at the tiny but determined figure in front of him.

He had forgotten how tiny she was, and how much he had loved that. He had been able to pick her up and swing her around like she was nothing. She had squealed with delight, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

God, they had been so happy.

A coldness jolted through his body as a flash of Ian's face cut through his memories. Suddenly, visions of Ian and Kimberly filled his brain.

_So it is true,_ a voice within him growled. _She loved another, left you for another without an explanation or an apology. Now she expects you to forgive her. _

But he couldn't—something deeper ran within him now, a current of unceasing energy that had been born within him that faithful night.

_The night I stopped fighting her,_ he thought, the hairs on the back of his neck raising at a vivid image of his mouth on her skin, their fingers interlocked. _The night I let my guard down. _

_She destroyed you_. The voice said again, screaming now. _She destroyed you, and yet, you cannot hate her?_

He stared at her, her chin raised high, her shoulders tight, and all at once, a feeling overtook his body.

She had done this to him. She was the reason he had always been a little off, the reason he could never give himself fully to Kat, the reason he could never be perfectly satisfied. She had started a fire that had burned for six years, a fire that slowly was consuming him.

A girl's scream pierced the night, bringing him back to his full attention.

"Somebody help me!" a young girl screamed, running down the street rather awkwardly in three inch heels and a mini skirt. "My friend Dorian is being attacked! _Somebody help me."_

Kimberly and Tommy exchanged a cool look, then immediately hurried toward the spot where she had just come from.

"Show time," he whispered.

- - -


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Fear and Loathing in Amsterdam**

Dorian Asher was not having a particularly good day.

It had begun well enough—he had rolled out of bed around four in the afternoon, somewhat confused by the two half dressed women in his bed, but very pleased with the promise of a boastful story that lay in their presence. The fact that last night had receeded into a hazy fog did not concern him; after all, memories always came back with time.

His head had been pounding, nerves seemingly crackling with the intense amount of pressure he had put on them. "This isn't a way to live," his mother had told him in her snotty, aristocratic tone. "Come home before the family's reputation is damaged."

But he wouldn't, not until _he _decided it was time. He had been forced into everything else in his life—Boarding school, the college he was supposed to be attending, even that damn relationship with that _wretchedly_ inbred looking Eleanor Worthington.

This was _his life. _And he was going to live it until it was stripped from him.

He had shooed the somewhat embarrassed girls away, ordered room service, then called his friends—sons and daughters of wealthy British aristocrats, each of them equally as spoiled and equally bent on using as much of their fathers' money as they possibly could.

They had left the hotel a little after midnight, their minds complacent with a dream like haze that swirled around them, enveloping them and warmth and allowing them to finally believe what they had long suspected—they were Gods.

"To the bars!" he had cried, each arm wrapped around his scandalously clad girlfriends, both giggling and swaying. Life, it would seem, was perfect.

Until _they_ had showed up.

He had been minding his own business, having pulled Allison Karrington to the side to have a very specific nonverbal chat with her, when he had notice the looming shadow out of the corner of his eye.

"Oi, Mate!" He had yelled, annoyed at the prying stranger. "Turn your eyes elsewhere, won't you?"

Then, _it _had stepped into view, followed by two others just like the other, and revealed their horrific images: They had the body of a large human—each one at least seven feet tall with bulking muscles emerging from pallid skin. Their eyes were small slits with red pupils, and their tongues like that of a stake. In place of a nose, they had strange symbols carved into their flesh, leaving their faces a mutilated disaster.

Despite he massive amount of drugs he had taken, Dorian's mind was perfectly clear: his day was about to get much worse.

"Get help!" He had whispered to a terrified Allison, who had run screaming in the other direction, leaving him alone to face whatever the hell stood in front of him.

"What in the bloody hell are you?"

"We are the Wrathianssss," the first one spoke. "We bring you a messsssssage from our massssster."

"Which is?"

"To tell you your resssssistance is completely futile. He will sssssssssucceed."

"Look, you've got the wrong bloke. I have nothing against you _or _your master."

"We are never wrong. Your body will be left as an example to the otherssss."

Dorian did not like the sound of this. Appropriately, he let out a shrill scream of fear.

"Please!" He begged, praying to whatever high power would listen to him that this was simply nothing but a product of some bad acid. "I haven't done anything! I'll do whatever you need me to do!"

"A Ranger who cries and begs for his life?" a surprised voice rang out from the distance. "This is new."

The Wrathians' head snapped around, and the voice's keeper emerged from the shadows: a large, muscular man with spiked hair. "Dorian, was it?"

"More Rangersssss," the henchmen hissed. "We came here to collect one body and we shall return with three. Won't our masssster be pleassssed."

"We'll have to see about that," Kimberly said, in a tone that betrayed far more confidence than she felt. These guys might have well been built of stone.

"Dare you ssssuggest you could battle usss, Earthling?" Hissed the first one. "We sssshall destroy you gladly."

"Well, when you put it like that?" Tommy said, stepping forward and remaining by Kimberly's side. "Who could resist?"

_There's three of them_, Kimberly thought, her mind focusing on the eminent battle. _But as strong as they look, it might as well be a ten versus two. _

She cast a sidelong glance at Tommy, who was calculating his next plan of attack. His gaze shifted towards her, and he jerked his chin.

She understood.

In a split of a second they had both lunged forward, kicking the middle one with all the strength they could afford. The combined strength of their efforts had paid off—the Wrathian went flying backwards, his weight carrying him through a brick wall.

That left one for each of them.

_Great._ Kimberly thought sourly. _I'm about to get my ass kicked. _

Another one stepped towards her first, inviting the first swing. She swung her leg back and kicked it as hard as she could. He caught it easily, picked her up by her leg, and threw her into a wall.

"Oh shit," muttered a bewildered Dorian, who seemed throughougly relieved that these incredibly large monsters were wailing on someone else. "That had to hurt."

_He's not lying_, Kimberly thought, her entire body throbbing. _Life would be so much easier if I could only morph._

The Wrathian came after her again, swinging his massive arms in her direction.

_Everything has a weakness—I just have to find theirs!_

She easily dodged his next throw and managed to get a couple of shots into his stomach, much to her fists dismay.

_That definitely hurt me more than it hurt him,_ she decided. _These guys are made out of steel. _

"I am done playing with you," hissed the first one, stepping forward. "Your body will be a warning to the resssst of the world,"

Two crushing hands encircled her arms from behind, and she realized she was trapped. Her crushed wind pipe leaving her unable to scream, she wildly sought out Tommy, praying he would see her.

"Shut up!" another one hissed at her. "You inssssolent child. I shall kill you gladly!"

Everything was beginning to turn red.

_Shit!_ Her mind screamed. _I've got to save Dorian!_

"You will feel my massssster'sssss power!" He hissed at her, his mutilated face inches from hers. "You will feel his power courssssing through your veinssss!"

"I don't think so," came a familiar voice, one that made Kimberly's heart sing with joy.

Tommy had found her. And he came armed with a large, metal pipe.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you how to treat a lady?" He said, swinging the metal pipe into the Wrathian's head as hard as he possibly could. He fell with a satisfying thump, releasing Kimberly along the way.

"You." She said, panting and looking at Tommy. "Have impeccable timing."

"I would have been here sooner, I just assumed you could handle yourself."

Kimberly's mood sank, and anger set in. In the past week she had been almost blown up, almost drowned, almost broke every bone in her body, reunited with a cranky ex boyfriend then forced to spend countless awkward hours with him, accosted by an even crankier ex fiancé, and now being attacked by giants on steroids.

Needless to say, she was no longer in the mood to be nice.

"Sorry. I don't have that thick skull to guard against all the tough blows."

"Says the high school graduate to the man with a doctorate. How was Ian, by the way?"

"Pissed as hell, actually."

"At you? Why on earth would anyone be mad at you?"

"Duck!" she called, as Tommy dropped to the ground and she kicked her leg high in the air, connecting with the unsuspecting Wrathian who then hit the wall. "Because it's over. It has to be. I can't marry someone who has no clue who I really am."

"And who are you? Really?" He asked her, picking up his metal pipe and preparing to knock out the final Wrathian.

"Not the girl I used to be."

"That's a fact."

Kimberly was very tempted to let the remaining Wrathian pummel him. Tommy effortlessly knocked him out cold. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"That you've changed."

"And how would you know? You haven't exactly been around."

"And whose fault is that?" he snapped, pulling a bleeding Dorian up off the ground. "You were the one who left."

"You _told_ me to!"

"Because you _wanted_ to!"

"I wanted you to fight for me. To prove to me that you really did care about me, that I wasn't some random—"

"_Very mature!_ So that's why you started dating _Ian?_ Because you weren't getting enough _attention? _Jesus, Kimberly. And, since I've been meaning to ask you for about, oh, five years now, how exactly does that whole time line work out, anyway?"

"Don't you _dare_ accuse me of cheating on you! You know—"

"—you're better than that? No. I don't know you at all. Now I'm starting to think I never did."

They stared at each other, eyes ablaze with fury.

"Um, I hate to interrupt," Dorian said, backed up against the wall. "But I think one of my ribs is broken."

"Oh," Kimberly said, now embarrassed she had gotten so distracted. "Of course you are. Sorry—"

"No, no, it's fine. You did save my life. If you'll just help me back to my hotel, I'll be out of your hair in no—"

Kimberly looked the poor boy over, sympathetic. She remembered how she had felt the first time she had battled putties—the awful feeling of never feeling safe again. She was about to change his life forever, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

_"_We've got to get him out of here," Kimberly hissed, clearly not wanting to continue this conversation. "We don't know how many more could be out there,"

Tommy glared at her, the hurt in his heart fresh upon seeing Ian. So that was _him_, the guy she had left him for. Any less shred of doubt he had was completely gone—he existed, and she had loved him. She had left Tommy, made his heart become heavy with bitterness and distrust.

"Whatever," he said, pulling a very disoriented Dorian up off the ground. "I'm tired of talking."

"Fine." She said, turning her back to him and beginning a very brisk walk back towards the hotel, arms crossed. He didn't want her to talk, that was fine. She was done talking. She was done hoping, she was done reliving the past, and she was certainly done with pretending her current situation wasn't that bad. He wanted to hate her, he could go right on ahead and hate her—she wasn't going to try to change his mind.

She kept her eyes straight ahead, ignoring the burning sensation in the back of her neck. Tommy was staring holes into her head, and she be damned if she would buy into it. He wasn't going to torment her anymore—he wasn't the same person she had remembered. He wasn't that sweet guy, the one who would surprise her with a thoughtful gift, the guy who would hold the door open for her, the one who had always put her feelings first.

_Because you destroyed him_, the voice said. _You took a perfect man and you turned him into a monster. Congratulations, Kimberly. You have destroyed the only being you have ever loved. _

_Go to hell,_ she replied, not bothered by the fact she was having a conversation inside her own head. _I'm done feeling guilty. I'm done—_

_You're done feeling in general. Don't kid yourself. You started off your journey looking for passion, and as it would turn out, you've destroyed ever last ounce of passion in your body. Hope you like numbness, sweetheart. How's that for irony._

She straightened her spine, coldness overtaking her body. She wasn't going to let Tommy's indifference destroy her.

_You'd much rather do the job for him? _

_Stop it!_ She pleaded, feeling silly. _He's treating me like I'm some enemy, like I'm Lord Zedd or something. I am not a bad person._

_Is that right? You destroy things and people you love: first Tommy, then Ian. _

"Wait, this isn't right!" Dorian said, suddenly becoming aware of his surroundings. "My hotel is down in the other—"

"We're not going back to your hotel," Tommy said, his tone softening. He was about to make this little boy's head spin.

Dorian stopped walking. "Why not?" he asked, fear in his eyes. He had seen these two take on three hulking giants—he didn't stand a chance.

"We're not going to hurt you," Kimberly said, trying to overcome her anger at Tommy long enough to be gentle. "But your life is in danger. We have to protect you as long as we can."

"Look, if it's money your after, Father can send you whatever you want."

Kimberly inwardly smiled. She too remembered a day when all that mattered in life was daddy's credit card.

"That's not what we're after."

"Well, what then?"

"We're going on a little trip."

Dorian narrowed his eyes. "Of what variety?"

"The airplane kind! What were you expecting—red pill or blue pill?"

"It's Amsterdam. Anything could happen. And what makes you so sure I'm going to get on a plane with you."

Kimberly sighed. "You don't have to. You might make it back to your hotel before another group of Wraithens would find you. That is, if they aren't waiting for you back at the hotel."

Dorian gulped. "So basically, my choice is go with you or be torn in half?"

"You're catching on quickly!"

"Well, when you present it like that." He gripped his side. "Ow."

"We have to keep moving! We'll get back to the hotel and contact Trini. She's supposed to be making return arrangements."

"Can't wait," Kimberly said, under her breath, clearly not looking forward to spending more time with Tommy in an enclosed space for a prolonged period of time.

_I never thought it would come to this_. She thought bitterly, her temper flaring up. _I never thought he would treat me this way, treat me like I'm some sort of scum. It's bullshit. _

_That's right,_ the voice said again. _Be angry. Anger is so much better than numbness._

"We're here." She snapped, pulling herself through the door and heading for the elevator. Oh yes. Trini Kwan was about to get a _very_ interesting phone call.

She grabbed the phone off the hook and raced onto the patio, slamming the door behind her. It rang once.

"You have _got_ to stop calling me in the middle of the night," a sleep filled voice answered.

"We got the boy," Kimberly said, plopping down into a chair and crossing her arms. "It only took us battling three larger than life snake-things and a plethora of sarcastic comments."

"That's a first. Evil henchmen with sarcasm? Normally they just run around gurgling."

"_Not_ the Wrathians, Trini, _Tommy._"

Trini's yawn stopped abruptly. "Oh."

"Yes. Fortunately, we've progressed from a cold silence to outright loathing. Yay, my life is fun!"

"I love Tommy, but at this point he's kind of being cruel," Trini said, sighing.

"Cruel was ignoring someone sitting next to you. This is a whole new realm." Kimberly sighed, wishing she was as angry as she sounded. This was _Tommy_. Tommy used to be nice to _everyone._

"Well, look on the bright side. You're in Amsterdam, therefore, there has to be some sort of psychedelic drug that makes this situation seem much better."

"You're not funny," Kimberly said, sighing. "I don't get it, Trini. I don't understand how he can just be…" she looked behind her, looking at Tommy through the thick glass of the French doors. "So different," she finished. "He's—"

_You destroyed him. You made him like this. _

"Look, the trip's almost over. You have arrangements to fly home in three hours. Just keep the kid safe and try not to kill Tommy. I promise, this is going to get better."

"This kid better be worth it," Kimberly grumbled. "Watch us have the wrong one."

"Just get him back to Reefside, okay? I'm flying out tomorrow, so I should beat you there by a few hours."

"You better be at the airport!" Kimberly missed her best friend, more so now than ever. Trini knew Kimberly better than almost anybody—she had been a prominent figure in her life since before they ever received their calling. Trini had watched Kimberly's mistakes through the years, and could still love her, regardless of the shit she had caused. It was for that, Kimberly adored her. She knew everything, and still wanted to be Kimberly's best friend—Tommy's polar opposite. It was for this that Kimberly loved Trini the most—despite everything, Trini made Kimberly feel that she wasn't the horrible person she had envisioned herself to be.

"I will be front and center with a sign!" she could hear the smile in Trini's voice, and instantly felt better.

"That's more like it."

"Please try not to kill Tommy. The world rests in you two staying safe."

"I make no promises, especially when confined to a small space with him for eight hours."

"Homicide is still illegal even if you're flying. You know that, right?"

"Damn it, ruin my fun. What country would that convict me in?"

"Both."

"Boo."

"I mean it! Be safe! I love you!"

"Love you too! Bye!"

Kimberly hung up the phone, her smile once again fading. All joking aside, the moments spent with Tommy were getting tenser and tenser. She had a feeling things were about to reach a boiling point.

- - -

Tommy stared out the window, watching as Kimberly very animatedly expressed her distaste about the current situation to Trini. Next to him, Dorian (who was thankfully coming off of whatever drug he had just done) twitched nervously.

_This was so not part of my ten year plan_, Tommy thought, looking around the cramped hotel room. _I had expected things to be so different._

He had gone over this in his head more times than he could count. He had cycled through the emotions, tried to reason with himself, try to maintain control of his passions. Yet, here he was again, just as pissed off as he had been before.

He was done being love's bitch. He was done being _her_ bitch.

Striding over to the glass door, he threw it open with an exaggerated violence.

"Are you done gossiping?" he snapped at her, his voice three degrees colder than he had felt. She visibly jumped and snapped her head towards his direction.

"I'm sorry?" she asked, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

"We really need your help over here. We'd all love to take some time off, but we have to save the—"

"World. I know. My goal over the past three years. Remind me of what you were doing again?"

"Much of the same, only I had an actual job in the meantime,"

"Could you please lay off the asshole? I know you're not implying that because I made my money after years of hard work and sacrifice, I am somehow less than you are."

"You said it, not me."

"What is your problem?" Kimberly jumped up, waging an inner battle between fury and hurt.

"In case you haven't noticed, there's an incredibly drugged out young man who happens to be the world's salvation, and you head out onto the patio and do your own thing. So typical!"

Kimberly growled. "_What_ is typical?"

"Someone needs you and you get far away as possible."

"I was trying to gain some perspective. And please, spare me the 'we could use your help'. _We_ could have used _your_ help when we were nearly getting blown up and trekking through the woods.."

"You haven't changed a bit, do you know that?" Tommy said, already regretting the words that were coming out of his mouth, but unable to stop them. "You're still the same spoiled little girl you always were."

"Better a spoiled brat than an awkward science teacher intent on living out his glory days."

"Meaning?" His tone was murderous.

"You're getting old, Oliver. It's time to accept the fact the world has no place for 'Tommy, the Geriatric Ranger!'"

"Speak for yourself, you Buffy-wannabe,"

"Better Buffy than a retirement home. If your hair recedes anymore you're going to be looking a lot like my Grandfather,"

Their eyes met: hurt, fear, anger, desire all combined into one sickening emotion that pulsed through their veins completely neglecting their minds. They were a long way from Angel Grove, indeed.

"You shouldn't have come back," Tommy finally said, his eyes cold. "You should have stayed gone. I don't know you anymore."

Kimberly pulled herself up, agreeing with Tommy for the first time. She shouldn't have come back—it brought back too many memories.

_There's no point, in remembering,_ she thought bitterly. _The past is gone and a part of us with it. There's no hope in trying to change what has happened, because it is finite. We each have a journey, and it requires sacrifice. Friendship has been one of them._

- -

They had got on the plane the following morning, careful to keep a bewildered and now hungover Dorian between them at all times. They remained silent, knowing that anything they said to one another would quickly escalate into a rather public disagreement. They didn't need anymore attention drawn to them.

They made it back to LA without any incident, and quickly collected their luggage, stepping outside to the crisp California weather.

"Where's Trini?" Tommy said gruffly, scanning the surrounding line of cars that seemed to stretch forever.

"She'll be here," Kimberly snapped, hands on her hips. It took a lot of effort to be hostile.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Tommy!" she snapped again. "What did you think I was talking to her about?"

"You've never been one to keep your focus."

"Don't act like you know me. As you so subtly pointed out last night, you don't. Not anymore."

"Some things can't change."

"Some things do anyway."

Without knowing what was going on, she was tackled from behind.

"Hi!" Trini squealed, pouncing on her. "I've missed you so much!"

Kimberly gave a muffled yelp of joy and turned around to envelope Trini in a huge hug. "There you are!"

"Did you think I wasn't going to show?" She said, grinning from ear to here. "Tommy! I love your hair! Come here!"

Tommy smiled and returned Trini's overly enthusiastic hug. "Thanks! It's great to see you again."

"You must be Dorian!" Trini said, extending her hand and giving him her brightest, most comforting smile. "I can imagine you must be exhausted."

"I'm past exhausted," he said. "I just wish someone would tell me what the hell is going on."

"We'll get to that, I promise. Right now, we have to worry about getting you with the others."

"There are others?" Dorian said, eyes narrowed. "Are they as weird as these two?"

"Not even a little bit."

"Hey!" Kimberly said, lightly whacking Trini. "I'm not weird."

Trini smiled at her in reply, and hugged her again. "I cannot wait to hear about everything you saw! Come on, get in the car!"

- -

The ride was long, but rather productive. Trini, completely oblivious to the fact Kimberly and Tommy were inches away from tackling one another, happily chatted away. In the matter of hours, she had successfully explained to Dorian his destiny, erased all fears and dread he had, cryptically informed them that the future pink ranger was safe and headed our way, and that Billy was trying to find a way to rejoin them on planet earth. She eagerly engaged Dorian in a long conversation about England's various gardens, and tried to reminisce with Tommy and Kimberly, to no avail.

By the time they had pulled up to Tommy's house, the feeling of dread Trini had tried so hard to dissolve had risen up again.

_How long can I do this?_ She thought, bitterly. _How long can I live in his house, sleep near him, eat his food. How long before we kill each other?_

Sighing, she pulled herself out of the car.

The answer to Kimberly's question would soon become evident—the breaking point occurred only days later, after days of flaring tempers and snappy comments.

Jason and Hayley had gone upstairs to order food, escaping the tumultuous environment for the few precious seconds they could, leaving the two feuding exes alone with a very resentful Ethan, Trent, Conner, and Kira. Kimberly had wandered over to look at the swords used for training, and picking one up, gingerly admired it.

And then, came a snort.

She didn't even turn around. "Yes?" she said in an irritated voice. "Is there a problem with me touching your things? Do you not like to share? Did we miss that day in Kindergarten?"

"I don't care that you're touching my things," Tommy said. "I just don't know what you think you're going to do with it."

"At the present moment, a variety of delicious ideas are crossing my mind,"

"It's just…been awhile, since you had to train. I just don't think you'd have it in you, is all I'm saying,"

Kimberly was well aware that there was a challenge hidden somewhere in that chauvinistic statement. Fortunately, she was just the girl to prove him wrong.

"Try me," she said simply, turning suddenly and tossing him a sword, which he caught quite easily. Standing, their eyes locked, feverish tempers blazing.

"I suppose I could show my students how to win a sword fight in three seconds."

"_Oh_ I _assure_ you, the point of this fight will be purely educational." Her eyes were narrowed, and Tommy couldn't ignore the fire that consumed his insides, now in an entirely different way. Kimberly directed her next statement to the five bewildered teenagers sitting in a corner, now looking fearful for their lives. "Now, when you're in a sword fight, the important thing to remember is to always be on your guard."

Kimberly's eyes cast darts into Tommy's. "En guarde," she said, assuming position.

"When was the last time you used a sword," Tommy asked her with his arms crossed, his eyebrows raised in what she presumed to be arrogance. "I'd hate to embarrass."

"Bring it on, Doctor." She said, the coldness in her voice hard enough to crack diamond.

He lunged, and she blocked it easily, then, twirling, managed to hit him on the shoulder.

"Score one for Kimberly!" Trent muttered under his breath, causing Conner to stifle a laugh.

Tommy had not expected that. "Someone's been practicing?" He muttered, his jaw clenching despite himself.

Kimberly gave a cold smile in response, then lunged again. Tommy, prepared this time, blocked it easily, then returned a hit which she narrowly escaped by flipping backwards. "Kira," she said, her eyes firmly locked on Tommy's. "Be sure to take advantage of your agility and quickness. It can be a big asset, especially when you know your opponent is stronger than you are."

She lunged again, he blocked, then returned a quick hit that she blocked.

She knows what she's doing, Tommy reasoned. There's no reason to go easy on her.

And then, the dance began.

She was under his skin, and he had to get her out of there. He had spent his whole life fighting for discipline, fighting to maintain control. And all Kimberly had done since the day he saw her was tear that down. He was going to fight her until every last vestige of feeling was gone. He was going to fight her until he stopped loving her.

She quickened her pace, attempting to back him in a corner. He responded by flipping backwards, swiping at her with one hand.

"There we go!" Kimberly said, triumphant at making him work hard. "Now you're finally getting into it. For a while there, I was wondering if you were going to show."

She turned, putting all her strength into it, and charged at him, sword over her head. He barely blocked it, and returned by swiping at her legs, which she jumped and managed to avoid. "Of course," Tommy announced to his students. "If the fight isn't going your way, you can always attempt to even the playing field." He stepped out of her way, letting her force carry her past him, then sent a drop kick to her sword, flinging it across the room, and causing her to lose her balance and land on her back.

"But," Kimberly said, Tommy's sword at her throat, an annoyingly confidant smile on his face. "Never underestimate blind stupidity." She swiped his legs out from underneath him, and casting her legs behind her and flinging herself upright, she kicked his sword out of his hand. "You can beat an opponent just as easily without weapons as you can with them."

"Wow," Kira said, eyes widening. "This is getting pretty intense. Should we get Jason?"

"Nah," Jason had appeared at the door, holding an apple. "Let 'em go. It'll be good for them. Like therapy."

"You're getting weak, Tommy," Kimberly said in a low tone, as they circled each other.

"Is that right?" Tommy whispered, his voice lowering to match hers. "Alright then, sweetheart. Let's see what you've learned these last five years."

Kimberly sent a kick directly to his stomach, followed by two quick punches that caused Tommy to spin around and balance himself on the wall.

"Don't." she said, through gritted teeth. "Call. Me. Sweetheart."

"Yeah!" Kira shrieked, jumping up, then, coloring and covering her mouth, sat back down.

"I've got to hand it to you, Kim." Tommy said, assuming a defensive stance. "You're really not as old as you look."

_Oh that was it._

She gained momentum by doing a few handsprings, then, with all the effort in her little body, delivered a cork screw kick that not only knocked him back into the wall, but caused the wall to shake.

"Who you callin' old, Oliver?" She shot back. "You can't fool me. I know that haircut was to hide that bald spot. Not that I wasn't sad to see the mullet go." She grinned, in spite of herself.

Tommy lurched forward and caught her by surprise. She managed to avoid hitting the floor by flipping backwards, but she felt a sharp pain in her side.

"It wasn't a mullet," He said, his jaw tight. "And you know you liked it."

"Hardly," she scoffed, punching twice, ducking his high kick, then delivering a side swipe that would have knocked him down had he not figured out where she was going and flipped backwards. They were dancing, back and forth, a beautiful dance of anger. The last five years had come to this. Kick, punch, flip. Kick, punch, flip. She had lost all concept of time, and neither of them noticed their pupils sneaking out of the room. They could have been fighting for hours, and they would not know it.

Sweat poured off their bodies, muscles flushed with exhaustion. Their anger was too great to be satisfied just yet.

She flew at him, kicking him, then casting her arm back with the last of her strength to knock him down.

It was no good. He caught her fist in his hand and twisting her around, his other hand securing her other hand. She was trapped by his size, held prisoner against his body by his arms.

"I win," He whispered in her ear, trying not to notice the fact that, while he had been victorious, he also had a very flushed Kimberly pressed close against him.

"Hardly," she said, trying to use his weight against him to flip him over her. He would not release his grip, and they both landed on the floor, on top of one another.

"Oh!" Kimberly said, surprised at suddenly being inches from his face.

Neither one of them dared move, both panting from the exertion. For a second, they were frozen, both staring at each other with a mixture of confusion and concern. Everything, up to this point, had been a blur. How had they gotten here?

"Sorry," Kimberly finally said, rolling off him and straightening up quickly. "Good fight," she said briskly, reaching for a towel and determinably not meeting his eyes. God, she was tired.

"You too," he said, also rising to his feet. "You're a lot stronger than you look."

"Thank you," she said, not feeling very thankful. She had held her own against a guy who doubled her in both size and strength. "You're a lot stronger than you look," just wasn't going to cut it.

There it was again, she thought. The passion she had spent her life looking for. Oh, what a fool she had been.

She climbed the stairs, not bothering to look behind her. She had earned a shower. A very long, hot shower in which the memories of being pressed up against Tommy would have to fade.

Tommy watched her go, rubbing the back of his neck. It was true, she was a good fighter. She had surprised him. He had assumed she would have treated her training with the same amount of delicacy she had treated him.

Fortunately, he thought bitterly, she must care more about her training.

He picked up one of their practice swords, flipping it over. From sweet picnics in the park to beating the shit out of each other. How on earth did six years change two people so much?

"Just so you know," Jason said, leaning in the doorway as Kimberly went past and taking a gigantic bite out of the apple. "That little sword show you two just put on? Yeah, that thinly veiled metaphor was lost on _no one_. And don't get me started on that phallic imagery."

Tommy glared at him, for once wishing Jason would keep his unwelcome opinions to himself.

"Excuse me," Tommy said, pushing past Jason. He needed a drink and he needed one now.

"It won't help," Jason called, taking another bite of the apple.

"_What_ won't help," Tommy snapped, turning back towards Jason.

"Drinking her away."

"That's not what I'm doing."

"Of course it is. You tried to pretend you didn't care she was here, but it just made you care all the more. You've tried ignoring her, but that just made you more aware of her being here. You tried kicking her ass in hopes she would beat it out of you, but judging by the little performance you two just put on, it just made you want to touch her that much more. It's time to move on to your last defense—that bottle of Jack Daniels. If you tell yourself it's anything else, you're fooling yourself."

"I don't know who you think you are—"

"You're best fucking friend. The both of you. I watched you two grow up together, I watched you two mean something to one another. I refuse to sit here and watch you destroy something so important."

"It's _gone_, Jason. It's _already _been destroyed."

"Then why do you hate her? If something is destroyed, the smoke clears. Time is supposed to make everyone less bitter. But you two…you try to hate each other and it's not working. Why the hell can't you two just grow up and realize that there's bigger things out there than you both?"

"Who died and made you Dr. Phil?"

"Cut the attitude, Tommy. I've stood by your side and watched you do a great many stupid things, but this is the stupidest." He paused, then straightening and clearing his throat said. "You're still in love with her, Tommy. I know it, you know it, and everyone else knows it. Except for Kimberly. Because she's just as stupid as you are."

Tommy stared at him for a minute, his gaze downcast and distant. "You're wrong," Tommy said at last.

"Then you're a fool."

Tommy turned back and headed into the training room. Suddenly, he no longer craved a drink. He needed a cold shower.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Rose Colored Redux**

* * *

Slamming the door to her room, Kimberly collapsed onto the bed, holding her head in her hands. The room was spinning and there was nothing she could do to stop it. 

She had spent the past six years trying to erase any memories of what it felt like to be in Tommy's arms. It had been a treacherous battle—he would often pop up when she least expected it: with Ian, when she was taking a shower, when she lay down in bed and a wave of loneliness overtook her.

Six years worth of attempting to make Tommy fade into her subconscious had been futile. When he had locked her arms and pressed him up against her, it had all come back to her.

She knew this time it would not die.

To say there had been a surge of energy was an understatement—it felt like every neuron in her body suddenly connected with his and instantly began to meld together. She had fallen on top of him and not known what to do—her mind had surged blank and her body longed to crawl on top of him and hold on for dear life.

Sighing, Kimberly stood up and undressed, wrapping a towel around her and heading for the bathroom.

_I feel like I'm going to be sick_, she thought sourly as she turned on the hot water, waiting in eager anticipation for the steam to fill the room.

Turning towards the mirror, she stopped dead in her tracks. The girl in the mirror—that couldn't be her, could it?

She leaned towards her reflection, the nauseous feeling increasing.

_Who is that girl? _She thought with horror. _That can't be me. My skin is so pale it might as well be transparent—and my face! It's gaunt. There are lines in places lines should not be…Am I really that old? _

Kimberly stared the mirror down, her body overcome by a strange emotion she had avoided for so long. Of course Tommy didn't know her anymore—He couldn't. There was nothing left of her to know, nothing except a plain, withering shell.

It hadn't been that long ago where she could look into the mirror and everything seemed normal—a normal girl, trying in vain to cover a hickie.

Overcome by dizziness, Kimberly Hart fell to the floor, her body erupting in sobs. Everything was gone, and nothing would ever be right again.

Why _had_ she left? All these years of regret and she wasn't completely sure she even understood the reason why.

She pulled herself up and forced herself to get in the shower, barely noticing the warm water rushing over her aching muscles. She had spent so long trying to forget everything that had happened to her it almost seemed futile to try to remember now.

She closed her eyes, and with a heavy heart, let herself remember.

Fear—that's the first thing that struck her. She had been so scared—everything was happening too quickly and everything wasn't okay. She had slept with Tommy, and as wonderful as that was, she couldn't quell the class five freak-out that paraded through her brain on a nightly basis. She had lost her mother to Paris, her car had been stolen, Lord Zedd had almost managed to defeat her, and had almost died twice in a two week period. She just needed a break.

And Tommy…

Right up until the moment Kimberly had boarded the plane for Florida, she hadn't thought she would have been able to do it. Tommy had been the only stable thing in her life for so long—how was it that she thought she could abandon him when she needed him most?

She had let the fear win. The overbearing, matriculating stream of fear that had wrapped itself around her brain. She had a choice—to stay and fight or to run away. True enough, running away came packaged in an "opportunity of a lifetime" shell, so no one had the chance to call her out on it. Kimberly couldn't lie to herself, however, and was ashamed—she had left her friends out to dry.

_I had a right to live my life, didn't I? _she thought, frantic with worry. _Even if I hadn't left, Zordon would have eventually released me, like he did Kat and Tommy. He wanted it stopped before it claimed the rest of our innocence. _

She finished her shower, and stepped out, wrapping the towel around her.

_So this is it, isn't it._ She thought bitterly, sharply wiping the steamed mirror with her towel. _I'll fight for the world, I'll die to save the world, and always know that I will forever suffer because I was afraid. _She searched the mirror and found her own eyes, so dark with worry. In a flash, she remembered.

* * *

Kira Ford was starting to get very nervous. 

It had been one thing to abruptly grabbed away from her up and coming career in the jingle business and brought back to train. True, she was very much aware of the dangers in the world, and knew firsthand that she'd much rather be the person with the power to stop the imminent danger, even if that meant some sacrifices on her part. She had never been a reluctant hero—that had been Conner's job—nor had she been the one excited by the prospect of living out hero fantasies—that had been Ethan. She had simply let her destiny unfold, and had been quite content to let it do so. After all, she had her music and she had her dreams. Even with the pressure of saving the world, that had been enough.

Until she had laid eyes on Trent Mercer. Until she had realized what he could mean to her, and until the day where he told her he didn't want to try.

But she wouldn't think about that now. She couldn't. They wanted her to train again, and they wouldn't tell her why. Meanwhile, she would just sit there and try not to kick Trent when all she really wanted to do was go home and take a bubble bath.

She pulled at the sleeves of her shirt, and sighed. True enough, watching Kimberly and Dr. Oliver go at it on the mat had made her feel a little bit better about her life—if anything, at least she wasn't jaded _and_ old

Still, there was definitely something going on—something they weren't telling her. They had sacrificed their powers to save the world, making them civilians. Why on earth would they keep them here and make them train, knowing they couldn't morph?

"Keep training!" Jason had called to them over their shoulder, following an incensed Dr. Oliver upstairs.

"For what?" Ethan had whispered, before hitting a punching bag.

_They feel it, too._ Kira thought. _If only they would tell us what's going on._

"Earth to Kira?" Conner said, jarring her out of her thoughts. "What's going on?"

Embarrassed, she realized that she was supposed to be sparring with Conner and hadn't made a move for the better part of a minute and a half.

"Sorry!" she said, assuming a defensive stance. "I guess I was just lost in thought."

Conner snickered and cast a side long look towards Trent. "I wonder about what?" he said, his voice full of fake innocence.

Kira took the opportunity to send a half-hearted kick his way. "That Dorian dude freaks me out!" Kira whispered to Conner, shooting a subtle look over at the mat where Trent and Dorian were now sparing. "I mean, they pick him up in Amsterdam? I've heard about Amsterdam. That place is a breeding ground for debauchery. What the hell do they want him here for?"

Conner nodded, following her eyes to look at Dorian, who was severely out of breath and had no knowledge of the martial arts whatsoever.

"I mean, I'll give him that he has the severe disadvantage in this scenario," Conner said, staring at Dorian carefully. "And that Dr. Oliver and Kimberly wouldn't have gone overseas to fetch him if it hadn't been important. But he doesn't belong here."

"None of us belong here," Ethan said, having strolled over to find out what his friends were discussing. "They tell us to train for hours on end, bring us the sketchy British boy that we're supposed to be helping, and then still refuse to tell us why we're even here in the first place. We should just leave."

Kira exchanged a look with Conner, and turned her attentions back to the enigmas at the other side of the room.

"I hope we're right to trust them." Kira said, softly.

* * *

Trini watched Tommy slam the door, before turning back towards Jason. 

"What did you_ say_ to him?" she hissed, jerking her eyes towards the door.

"Nothing he didn't already know." Jason sighed, wiping his forehead. "I'm tired of dealing with those two's problems. If they don't wake up soon—"

Trini stiffened and immediately motioned for him to be quiet.

"That's not in our control," she said, casting a look towards the door. "And I told you, we're going to figure out another way—"

"We _have_ to tell Kimberly." Jason interrupted, his eyes tortured. "I can't keep lying to her. We're supposed to be her friends, Trini! What is she going to think if she finds out and realizes that we all knew all along?"

"If she find out the prophecy has no chance of reversing itself. We have to figure out a way to stop it!" She turned briskly and hurried toward the kitchen.

"And if we can't?" Jason demanded, closely following behind Trini. "What on earth do you expect me to tell Tommy? 'Hey man, I've been meaning to tell you this for awhile, but by the way could you take a long knife and stick it in Kimberly's heart—"

"Jason!" Trini stopped, the blood draining from her face. "Don't even joke—"

"I'm sorry!" He meant it. "I just…I just can't stand lying. I look Kimberly in the face and all I can see is _him_."

"We're going to fix it!" Trini said again, turning abruptly and shaking with agitation. "Zach has everything in place. We just have to keep her here a little bit longer, keep an eye on her, and make sure she doesn't do anything stupid—"

"Like get into a knock down drag out fight with Tommy?"

Trini drew in a long breath, and started to rub her temples. "Tell me they didn't!"

"Oh, they did. They didn't even have discretion enough to keep their cool in front of the five kids _we're_ supposed to be training."

Trini sighed, and rubbed her eyes. "This is a nightmare."

Jason nodded, and leaned against the doorway, his arms crossed. "When is Zach getting here?"

"Tomorrow. He's been in Washington all this week meeting with the President."

"I cannot believe the state of California could be so stupid as to elect him to the senate!" Jason said with a smirk..

"How can you _not_ believe it?" Trini asked, forcing a similar smile on her face. "He's always been so charming, especially when it comes to getting things he wants."

"Yeah, but he didn't exactly express an interest in politics. He only wanted to go to that global conference because he wanted to hook up with a girl from each major country."

"According to him it was either the senate or 'Dancing with the Stars.'"

"Now _there's_ a way to make a huge life decision."

Trini smiled again, this one significantly warmer, reflecting on the fate of her dear friend. He had instantly risen to instant success and fame through a popular dancing television show, and had been featured in many a successful advertising campaign. He had moved on to politics like had everything else—smoothly and in top fashion. His campaign had been a great one, and the public had instantly liked him.

Politics had changed Zach, as Trini always said, for the better. It had taken a boy (a charming, borderline egotistical boy) and turned him into a solid, well rounded, caring man. Instead of wondering what party he was going to that night, he now worried about more practical things. Trini knew firsthand that Zach's life had been very difficult this past year, implementing the _plan_. She prayed that when the day came, everyone would thank him for his efforts and not attempt to lynch him.

"We need to go downstairs and train the kids," Trini said. "We've given them a cliff noted version of the story. We need to tell them about their destinies so they can start coming to terms with it all."

"But they're not all here yet."

"I've just talked to the…um…" Trini looked around. "Deliverer. The package is quickly approaching the drop point."

Jason gave her a look. "Seriously, Trini. Code? How old are we?"

"I am Kimberly's best friends. If I use names, I will die a very long, painful death. You _do_ know there's a special level of hell for the betrayers, don't you? I assure you, Kimberly will send me there with one look."

"Please. Kimberly is an adult. I am fairly confident she will handle it maturely."

"Then you tell her."

Jason paled slightly.

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

Jason sighed. "I'll get Tommy if you get Kimberly."

"Meet downstairs in five minutes."  
"Better make it ten."

"Deal."

* * *

Tommy growled and plopped down on his bed, plotting Jason's death. 

_Who the hell is he to tell me what he thinks I feel? _He huffed, not bothered by the fact that sentence made very little sense._ I am not in love with Kimberly. We were over a long time ago. Let's get Emily in the room, see how he feels then. Fucking hypocrite. _

Tommy was not about to admit it to himself, but being that close to Kimberly had awoken some feelings he was very adamant about keeping buried—to hold her in his arms, even after a high energy fight, had unlocked memories he had spent years trying to forget.

He closed his eyes and tried not to remember how beautiful she had looked that night. How when she woke up in his arms she had looked so at peace. They had just lain there, staring off into space, trying to make sense of the hurricane of emotions that was surrounding them.

"Tommy?" Kimberly said at last, her tone pensive, nestling her head on his shoulder.

"Umm?"

"What would you have done if you never met me?"

He had taken his time responding, letting his fingers gently comb through her tussled brown hair, the pads of his fingers gently brushing over her bare skin.

"I think," he said at last, pulling her closer to him. "I think I would have waited for you."

Kimberly lifted her head and sent him a skeptical look. "How can you wait for someone you don't know?" she asked him, disbelieving.

"I would have waited for you." He said again, smiling at her in amusement. "I think my whole life I've been waiting to meet you."

She let her brown eyes search his, carefully looking for any sign of jesting. Satisfied, she settled back on his shoulder, letting their limbs get tangled up in one another.

"Good." She said finally, sighing contentedly. "Because I would have waited for you too."

He had laughed, and kissed her forehead.

Presently, Tommy sighed, furiously throwing his towel across the room. Life couldn't go on like this. Hating Kimberly wasn't working. Loving Kimberly would destroy him. He couldn't be her friend, he couldn't be her enemy, and he sure as hell couldn't just ignore her. What was he left with?

"Tommy!" Jason screeched through the closed door. "Time to destroy all these kids' illusions about the things they're going to accomplish in their lives!"

Tommy scowled at the closed door. "We're telling them about the stones already?"

"We can't put it off any longer. The kids have a right to know. These children are inheriting a legacy, and if Billy's right, what's about to happen is going to profoundly impact the future generations of Rangers."

"Don't call them children. We were younger than they were when we first got our powers. They've graduated, moved on with their lives. They're adults."

Jason stared at him, long and hard. "When they have paid their dues, as we have, then I will stop calling them children. They have a long, hard road ahead of them, and until they become devoid of all innocence and naivety, then I should call them children."

"_I_ trained them. By myself. Without any help from any of you. I'm the only one that can tell you they're ready."

"It doesn't matter if they're ready. Fate has already marked them. Everything else is useless."

"There's only five of them. There's six stones."

Jason paused. "The sixth member of the team has been located. She is en route."

Tommy raised his eye brows. "How is she en route?"

"Never mind. Just get ready. And please, for the love of God, when you see Kimberly try not to provoke her, incite her fury, annoy her, or just generally breathe in her general direction. The world could do with a lot less sexual filled tension and a lot more concentration on the two of your behalf."

"Duly noted."

"Excellent. Downstairs. And remember—_no fighting with Kimberly._"

"She _provoked_ me!"

"By breathing?"

"She was messing with my swords!"

Jason smirked, and Tommy rolled his eyes. "You're mind is always in the gutter, isn't it?"

"Twenty six years and going strong, baby."

"You need therapy."

"Hello Pot. My name is Kettle."

Tommy gave a reluctant smile, and followed Jason out of the door.

* * *

_She had stood in front of a mirror very much like this one, only in Aisha's house. Her eyes looked exactly the same, darkened and old. Everyone had been so worried about her since she landed in the hospital. _

_"Everything has changed, hasn't it?" She had whispered, a strange sentiment pouring through her. She hadn't told Aisha that she and Tommy had consumated their relationship, a rather odd fact given that she had never withheld details like this before. She knew, in the deepest part of her soul, that Aisha wouldn't understand what Kimberly was feeling--that she'd just view her as young and irrational. Tell her she was obviously too young for that sort of responsibility, if she was freaking out like she did._

_Kimberly closed her eyes and remembered, how in that very _second_, everything between Tommy and her had changed. Tommy's arms were no longer a place for her to feel safe--they provided a whole new danger. He had awakened something in her, something that their time and place would not support. She was on fire, and if she was not careful, would burn them both into oblivion._

_"No," she whispered again, jerking her head. "I can't do this anymore." She was so tired, so sick and tired of it all--of being a Ranger, of not being a Ranger, of practicing her ass off to make Coach Schmidt happy. All she wanted was to be safe again._

Kimberly's memories died, and her back straightened sharply in epiphany. "Safe?" she whispered out loud to her rather startled reflection. "Was that it?"

A knock interrupted her. "Kimberly?" Trini's muffled voice came from behind the door. "It's time. The kids must know."

"I'm coming," Kimberly said automatically, her eyes still locked on her reflection. Was that it? Had she really been so scared that she had ran, for her life, away from Tommy and the rest of them? Was this really what all this was about?

Sighing, she turned from the mirror. _It doesn't matter, anyway. I made my choices, and I will live with them. _

She dressed, and walked out the door, only to come face to face with Tommy and Jason. Startled, Tommy abruptly stopped walking, leaving the two of them alone in the hallway.

She reluctantly met his eyes, for the first time in ages, seeing her own pain and age mirrored perfectly. Uncomfortable, Tommy quickly came to his senses and followed after Jason.

"Tommy?" she called, her voice remarkably emotionless. He turned, slowly, back towards her, not uttering a word.

"I can't hate you anymore. I'm sorry this situation is how it is. I promise you, the first chance I get to leave your house, I will. But I can't live my life like this. I can't keep hating you."

Tommy looked at her for a second, a conflicted but pensive look in his eyes. Finally, he nodded.

"That's fine," he said, breaking their eye contact.

Looking at him carefully, she moved past him with a small smiled, and followed Jason. There was now a small sadness rising in her chest, and she wished it gone with all her heart. It hadn't been the response she had wanted, but (then again) it hadn't been outright rage either.

_No matter, _she thought, forcing herself to appear composed. _It will just have to do. You can't change how he feels about you, just as you can't change the past. You have to learn to live with it. _

And, suddenly, a grotesque thought: _And if you can't?_

Kimberly gripped the railing of the stairwell, feeling small splinters poke into her hand. _Then die miserable. _

Taking a deep breath, she walked into the room, silently praying that these childrens' lives turned out significantly better than hers.

* * *

Trent held a punching bag for Dorian, trying not to reflect on how awkward his life had gotten, and finding himself very unsuccessful.

_But hey!_ He said, cheering slightly. _At least I'm not as lost as this poor kid._

True to form, Dorian was huffing and puffing, attempting to land a kick with proper form and accuracy. He had been attempting for the better part of fifteen minutes, and (as Trent figured) he would probably be trying for fifteen more.

"Shit!" Dorian hissed again, turning away from the bag and falling to the mat. "I'm useless."

"Don't give up, man. You're getting better." He really wasn't, but Trent had learned the hard way how much a carelessly informed truth could make your life a living hell.

"You're a terrible liar, you know." Dorian said, pulling himself up. "I'm shit, and I've been shit for the past fifteen minutes. I'm irredeemable, I'm afraid."

"Don't give up yet." Trent let his eyes wander over to the other side of the mat, looking at his three friends who were (surprise, surprise), deep in a private conversation. "Here," he said, tearing his eyes away and grabbing a bottle of water. "Have some water. You've earned a break."

"Cheers!" Dorian huffed, pouring the water down his throat. Wiping his mouth, he jerked his head in direction of Kira and company. "Those three. Are they always so cliquish?"

Trent gave an ironic chuckle. "They're friendly enough. I don't know. Never exactly felt like I fit in with that crowd."

"And why is that?"

"Could be the guilt I carry about having nearly killed them. That, or I'm just antisocial. Don't know."

Dorian narrowed his eyes in a suspicious look. "Killed them?"

"Long story. But, on the happy side, it wasn't really me, so you can rest easy."

"Excellent," Dorian said, stretching. "Because if I was forced to attempt and defend myself, it would be rather pitiful, as I'm sure you can attest to."

The door swung open, and Kimberly, Trini, Jason and Tommy all filed in.

"Now those are the best damn game faces I've ever seen." Dorian whispered behind him. "Looks like it's show time."

Trent gave a small shudder of anticipation.

"You all might want to take a seat," Jason said. "This could take awhile."

"I know you all want to know what's going on." Trini began. "I know you've heard an extremely fragmented version of the story and that you're all very curious as to what is going on. And now, we've realized we've got to tell you."

Kira nodded, exchanging a look with Ethan and Conner. "We were wondering when you would decide to trust us."

"It was never a matter of not trusting you," Trini assured. "We had to wait until you were all ready. It seems, with the sixth member of your team on the way, life is going to accelerate very quickly, and we want you all to be ready."

"What do you mean 'accelerate?'"

"We've told you all about the Original Evil, about Ted and Lythmore, and the great battle that ensued. We've told you about the stones, about the original power Rangers, and about their role in ensuring the safety of the world." Kimberly broke in. "And I know you've wondered why we decided to keep you here, why we brought in Dorian, and why you've had to work so hard these last few days."

"The truth is," Jason broke in. "It's not just the original Power Rangers we needed—it's the future ones too. And, as luck would have it, you five are the ones."

"Come again?" Ethan said.

"As it turns out," Tommy said, his face betraying a very tired sentiment. "Your run as a Ranger isn't quit over yet."

Trini stepped forward, pulling the bag of stones out from behind her. "Conner." She said, pulling out the red stone. "Step forward." He did so, his palms reaching towards her. With no dramatic flare, she handed the stone to Jason, who placed it in Conner's hands."

"You are the Red Ranger." He said, smiling at him. "You are, once again, marked as the leader of your friends. Your strength and determination will no doubt serve the world well."

The stone flashed in his hands, sending a red wave of energy all over his body.

Trini stepped forward next, holding the yellow stone. "Kira?" She said, smiling gently. "You're the Yellow Ranger. Cunning and spirited, you will serve as a seasoned asset to the group."

"Trent," Tommy said, giving his future pupil a long, hard look. "You will be the Black Ranger. Loyal and hard working, you have earned this." Trent stepped forward, the storm in his stomach rapidly growing.

Kimberly then stepped forward, holding the blue stone. "Ethan, you will be the Blue Ranger. Intelligent and strategic, you were the obvious choice."

Tommy spoke again, this time holding the green stone. "Dorian—" he began. "As the Newcomer to the group, we have no doubt you will prove yourself worthy to be the Green Ranger. This is why I bestow this stone to you—and know that your determination will overcome your newness in such a role."

Dorian looked increasingly nervous, but accepted the stone in his palm with a grateful nod.

"So this is it?" Kira asked, her tone betraying far more strength than her eyes did. "This is what it comes down to? We have to put our lives on hold and save the world again?"

"You don't have to." Kimberly said softly. "But if you don't then the world will end. And I'm not positive, but I've heard it's damn near impossible to score a record deal after the world ends."

"But what do we _do?_" Ethan asked, his eyes dark. "What do we fight? How do we morph? I mean, you're telling us we have to save the world, but you're not telling us from _what _or _how_."

"There's a ritual that needs to be performed," Trini said. "One with the older Rangers and the future Rangers. This ritual will give us _all_ our Powers, two sets of Power Rangers. When we're done saving the world, we step back and you six go on. After that, we fight Ted's henchmen, and, ultimately, Ted himself."

"Six?" Kira asked. "There's only five of us here."

Trini gulped and paled slightly.

"Yeah?" Kimberly said, attempting to exchange a confused look with Trini, who was now avoiding Kimberly's eyes with a painstaking effort. "Who's going to be the new Pink Ranger?"

"Umm….A girl." Jason finally said at last.

"And?" Kimberly asked, a condescending patience in her voice. "Where _is_ this girl?"

"I…um….Trini?"

"I think I can answer that!" A new, crisp Australian accent rang out. Kimberly's stomach dropped and she turned towards the door.

Katherine Hillard stood in the door, as beautiful and as fresh as she had ever been.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** Thank you so much to everyone who's reviewed! It makes it worth it (even when school gets ridiculously tough!). I also wanted to write a note and clarify to the reviewer who pointed out that, at 27, Zach is too young to be a Senator. You are absolutely correct. Sadly, there is not a good reason for this--this story is a combination of two of the stories I had written that weren't working for me, and in one of them all the characters were in their thirties. For this story, I wanted to keep them in their twenties to keep the immaturity between Kimberly and Tommy a little more realistic, therefore, the Zach dilemma!

Once again, thank you to everyone who has reviewed. All the criticism has been very helpful! You make this _so _worth it! (And bonus points to the people who have messaged me about the allusions in the titles. Good job!)

And now, without further ado...Chapter 8!

* * *

**Chapter 8: Kat Scratch Fever**

* * *

And there she was.

When Trini had told her he was going to see her again, he hadn't believed it. The last time he had said goodbye to her, Emily was on the back of his bike and she was in Tommy's arms. Even then, something in the back of his mind wanted to tell her a little bit more, bring her a little bit closer to the truth.

He had held back. He didn't think he could make her understand.

"Kat!" Trini said as enthusiastically as she could, shooting a guilty side-long glance at Kimberly, who was trying (with what appeared great difficulty) to keep her jaw from falling open in shock.

"Hello everyone!" she said, smiling softly, stepping aside to reveal a small teenage girl with sandy blonde hair down to her shoulders. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Darcy. I think she's the one you've been expecting."

Jason exchanged a look with Trini, who then nodded. "Hi, Darcy." She said, smiling as warmly as she could. "It's so good to finally meet you."

Darcy nodded, her eyes cast downward.

"She's…um…a tad bit shy," Kat said, timidly looking at Tommy, then immediately dropping her eyes back to Trini, her face slightly flushed.

Jason looked around the room, slightly panicked. There was one exit, and Kat was standing in front of it, a cork to the bottle already half full with the awkwardness that was (by definition) their room.

"Well!" Trini said in an unnervingly shrill voice, picking up on the same vibe Jason had. "I bet you two are exhausted, and I _know_ I am. Why don't we go upstairs and relax? I can order some pizza."

There was a shout of joy from Conner and Ethan, who raced each other to the stairs, breezing past Kat who had to hold onto Darcy's shoulder to keep from toppling over. Kira, who under _no _circumstances wanted to be left alone with Trent, raced after them.

Trent sighed, then motioning to Dorian, went up to Darcy. "Come on," he said, urging her away from Kat. "They're not as crazy as they look." Smiling gratefully, both Kat and Darcy followed him and Dorian up the stairs.

_Oh crap._ Jason said, realizing as Tommy followed them that he was alone in the room with Kimberly and Trini. He hurried to the door as fast as he humanely could, noticing Trini in his peripheral vision.

That is, until _she_ grabbed both of them by the arms.

"Come back here!" Kimberly barked, jerking them both backwards.

"Ow!" Jason yelped, batting her hand away. "You know, for a little girl you have the grip of a Samurai."

Kimberly did not acknowledge this comment. "Kat is here." She hissed, staring at the two of them.

"Um…yes?" Trini said, casting a helpless look at Jason.

"No…no, I'm afraid you don't understand," Kimberly said again, a tinge of angry desperation in her voice. "_Kat_ is _here._"

"Yes, _we know._" Jason said, nodding his head.

"Jason, _Kat is here_!"

"Oh God!" Trini said, distraught. "We broke Kimberly."

"Howcouldyoutwonottellmeshewascoming?" words came out them in dramatic bursts, prompted by Kimberly's clenched fist. "You two! You _knew._ And you couldn't _warn _me?"

"It was Jason's idea!" Trini said quickly.

"Traitor," Jason muttered, then sighing, he turned to Kimberly. "I assumed that if you knew she was coming you'd just leave. We can't afford you leaving, Kimberly."

"I don't always leave!" Kimberly said, her voice reaching a crescendo. "Is that what you two think of me? 'Oh, stupid Kimberly, anytime there's a problem she just runs away!'"

"He didn't mean—"

"No! Let's hear it. Let's hear what you two really think of me. First you don't tell me I have to see Tommy again. Now Kat. Wow, I have the best friend in the entire fucking—"

"Don't yell at Trini! Believe it or not, we're not trying to torture you, Kimberly. We're trying to be adults, but you're making it _damn_ near impossible—"

"You're treating me like a _child,_ Jason. A fucking _child!_"

"Kim," Trini said, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm so sorry. You know I love you. She _had_ to come—there was no way I could avoid it! I tried to prevent this from happening, and I thought I could make it work out, but I can't, and I—just please, don't hate me!"

Sighing, Kimberly's rage evaporated. "I'm sorry," she said, staring back and forth between Jason and Trini. "I don't know what's wrong with me…I'm just…I'm not myself."

"I'm sorry, too," Trini said, grabbing Kimberly suddenly in a huge hug, letting the tears spill over. "And I'm just so…so sorry."

Jason felt a lump rise in his throat, and he quickly turned to avoid looking at Kimberly.

_Can't think about that now_, he thought, straightening his spine. _I can't think about Kimberly and all that other stuff._

"I'm going to go upstairs and meet Darcy," Kimberly said, forcing a smile. "Just to make sure she knows I'm capable of facial expressions other than 'shock and awe.'"

Trini smiled until Kimberly disappeared out of sight, then sent a shaky look in Jason's direction.

"Just wait until Billy gets here," he told her, preempting the quickly approaching freak out. "None of us are smart enough to figure out this prophecy. When he gets here, we'll deal with it. Don't you dare get upset on me now."

Trini nodded, and wiped away a tear that had been forming on the corner of her eye. "We'll figure it out," she repeated. "I don't care if I have to die doing it, Kimberly isn't going to fall."

* * *

Kimberly climbed the stairs, her head pounding, trying very hard to remember the last time her life was blissfully uncomplicated.

_Kat's back?_

It wasn't that she hated Kat—Kimberly herself had _hand picked_ Kat as the next Pink Ranger. She was sweet, and classy. Kimberly had instantly liked her.

_Of course, that was before she started to date Tommy,_ a voice in her head said.

_After you _broke up_ with him! _Another voice snapped.

Kimberly sighed. The never ceasing conversation. She couldn't fault Kat for anything, and yet, she was still so angry.

Kimberly reached the landing and peered through the crack in the door, staring at the figures in Tommy's living room. Kira was sitting with Darcy, who was looking quite steadily at her hands. Trent and Dorian were in the opposite corner, with Ethan and Conner in the middle, happily munching on pizza. But where were Tommy and Kat?

Opening the door, she sneaked past the living room full of increasingly rowdy teenagers. She had quickly made the executive decision that all introductions could wait until her mental capacity was a little bit better.

_Yes_, she thought. _I'll just go back to my room and read a little bit. That will clear my head. _

As she approached the doorway, Kat's voice stopped her dead.

"Tommy?" she said quietly. "Could I speak to you for a minute?"

She heard the door to his bedroom open and close, as her heart dropped into her stomach, a sickness swelling inside her.

Turning abruptly, her course of action immediately disbanded, she headed straight into the den where Jason was staying. She flung the door open without knocking (now was not a time for such formalities) and immediately headed for his bag. A part of her, the part that wasn't now screaming for total and complete drunkenness, gratefully acknowledged that Jason was not in his room. This would make her task significantly easier.

Opening his bag, she took a moment to shudder in revulsion. _Does he ever do laundry?_

Resigning herself to the inevitable, she quickly began to dig, feeling her way through the dirt ridden clothes to the bottom of the bag. Finally, her fingertips felt the cool, arching glass.

_Got it!_

Grasping the bottle tightly, she pulled it out.

"Thank God for Jose Cuervo," she spoke to herself, unscrewing the top and pouring the liquid down her throat. She immediately shuttered at the aftertaste, her face squinched up in disgust.

_Just give me about fifteen minutes._ She thought begrudgingly, closing her eyes and taking another swig. _The taste quickly gets better._

Peeking out the door to check for Jason, she quickly stole to the door to basement. Trini and Jason had quickly joined the festivities in the Living Room. It was the only place she could be alone.

She plopped into a chair, and unscrewed the bottle again, swallowing as fast as she could. The taste was lessening now, and a warm feeling of complacency settled upon her. She breathed deeply, the tense feeling slowly being numbed by the comforting feeling of impending inebriation.

"I can't fight you away," Kimberly whispered to no one, spinning around in the chair, watching the darkened room dancing with shadows. "I quit." She whispered to the darkness, bringing the bottle to her lips again. Spinning faster, she happily watched the room swirl into incomprehensible colors.

- -

The thirty minutes Jason had been sitting in the living room felt like an hour.

"How long do you think they're going to just sit in there and ignore the rest of us?" He whispered to Trini, annoyed.

"As long as it takes to sort out nine years worth of drama," she whispered back. "So far, the going rate is two weeks."

"So we just sit here and let them ignore us?"

"Well, we'll slide food under the door after a couple of days, and be prepared to prevent them from killing one another should we hear gunshots and screaming."

"You're not funny."

"I think I am."

"You're the only one. And no—" he said, cutting her off. "Zach doesn't think you're funny either. He just wants in your pants."

Trini glared daggers through the blush that was now creeping up her cheeks, clearly trying to find some sort of suitable reply.

Jason turned his attention back to the door, willing them both to come out.

_This is ridiculous._ He thought. _You haven't seen her, spoken to her, or even acknowledged her existence since _you_ left with _another_ girl. Why on earth do you care that she's in there with Tommy?_

Jason felt like growling.

"Why are you obsessed with them, anyhow?" Trini asked, recovered from her rather embarrassing episode. "Give them a second to talk!"

Jason shrugged, mentally sorting through appropriate replies.

_I need Cuervo_.

Standing, he strode into the den that he had made his temporarily residence, suddenly disheartened at finding his clothes strewn everywhere.

"Damn it, Kimberly," he thought, looking into his now empty backpack. "Where did you go?"

Standing up straight, he immediately furrowed his brows. Try as she might, all attempts to thwart him from his tequila would be futile. He would find her, and when he did, drunkeness would ensue.

* * *

Tommy closed the door to his bedroom, reluctantly turning around to the very beautiful blonde that stood behind him.

"So?" He said, taking a few strides towards the window to put as much distance in between him and Kat as possible, trying not to acknowledge the guilt that coursed through his veins.

"So." She said, nervously surveying the room, and then, rather abruptly sitting down on his bed. "Um…how have you been?"

"Better." He replied honestly, sighing. "Look, I'm really sorry about not calling you back."

"For three years?"

"I've been busy."

"Clearly." She gave a small giggle, but kept her eyes focused on her hands, which were tightly folded in her lap.

"I just…" he paused, seeking helplessly for the right words. "I just didn't want to lead you on. I didn't want you to think it was possible—"

"Oh, I assure you, I didn't." Kat's eyes were a little distant. "Believe it or not, you dropped plenty of hints in the duration of our rather short relationship that should have led me to that conclusion a lot sooner."

Tommy looked out the window, shame creeping in every vacant space in his body.

"I'm not here to make your life difficult. Trini called me, told me to find Darcy and bring her here. And believe it or not, those assorted phone calls over the years weren't attempts at a reconnection. I just…I need to tell you some things. And now is as good of a time as any."

Tommy crossed his arms, but nodded. _Here goes nothing._

Kat took a deep breath, and raised her eyes. "I know a lot of what we had was just pretending. I know that you were still in love with Kimberly for the most part (if not all) of it. And at the time, I was okay with that. I guess I realized it was better for me to have you, even just some of you, then not have you at all. I was young then, a silly little girl looking for the cutest boy in school to take her to the dance." Tommy couldn't help but cringe at that word. "But above all else, we were friends, Tommy. And the more time I look back on it, the more I realize that's probably all we were. You owe it to me, as a friend, to treat me like a human being. I understand that your life is complicated right now, and me coming back probably doesn't make any less complicated. But I saved the world with you once, too. I was one of the people that you counted on—and to think that you'd just let that friendship die because you were too ashamed—"

"I wasn't ashamed!" Tommy interrupted, loudly. "I was embarrassed. I tried really hard to love you, Katherine. More than you'll ever know. But—"

"You couldn't!" Kat yelped, a little impatient. "I think that's a bit obvious at this point, Tommy. And I'm not complaining, because the more time that passed, I realized that all the time I was trying to hold onto you, it was because I was afraid. I don't need you as my boyfriend to be happy. And that's all I've wanted to say to you for these past few years, to let you know that I forgive you, and I don't think you're this horrible person. I would still love to have you as a friend."

Tommy turned and met her eyes, which were honest and open. "I'm so sorry, Kat. You deserved better."

"Hey! It wasn't all bad. There were some good times in the mix,"

"Not like you'd ever tell me anything was wrong during the bad times."

She smiled, and stared at her hands. "We can't help it, sometimes. Who we fall in love with, I mean. Sometimes the love of your life can be standing right next to you, and you don't even realize it because you're all blinded by someone else."

"And I'm really sorry about not calling you back. You totally deserved a chance to tell me how you felt—I guess I was just afraid of what you were going to say." He paused. "If anyone had a right to complain about me being a prick, it was you."

Kat smiled, but said nothing. "I don't let it bother me anymore." She said softly. "I think that in another time and place, a completely different world altogether, that you and me could have been happy. You know, married, children, grandkids, that whole bit." she paused, the smile growing more distant. "But I think that world would be significantly less of a great place, because it would mean Kimberly Hart was never born."

Tommy did not reply, trying to ignore the way those words filled him with a strangeness he could not try to comprehend.

* * *

"You!" Jason hissed, throwing open the doors of the basement to reveal an utterly inebriated Kimberly.

"Me!" Kimberly cried joyously, slinging her arms (and the bottle of tequila) over her head in an act of blissful celebration. "Me! Me! Mememememe!"

"Jesus, Kimberly! What the hell do you think you're doing?" He grabbed the bottle from her clutches and took a long swig. "You're a light weight. Too much tequila will _kill _you."

"Jason," she said, leaning forward slightly, her head rolling. "Of all the possible ways I'm going to die in the near future, Tequila is _by far_ the best option."

Jason paled slightly, and took another long swig. "I'll just have to drink faster to keep up with you."

"A game!" Kimberly said, her eyes lighting up with girlish enthusiasm. "Oh let's play a game! Please? Please?"

He laughed, and plopped down on the floor next to her. "I've forgotten how much fun drunk Kimberly is. What game would you like to play?"

"I just made one up. It's called 'take a shot'!"

"How do you play?"

"Well, we both take a shot. Whoever finishes the shot last has to take another shot."

"And then?"

"You start over."

"You didn't really think this through, did you Kim?"

She rolled her eyes in a sweepingly dramatic gesture. "I have got all the thought I need _right_ here," she said, grabbing the bottle back and lovingly clutching it. She passed the bottle back to Jason, who took another shot. "Are they still talking?"

He wiped his mouth, and nodded. The joyousness had faded out of her eyes, and was now replaced with a hollow gaze. "Oh." Was all she said.

Searching desperately to feel the hole the silence had burned between them, Jason took another drink.

- - -

Tommy swallowed, wishing for the strength to approach the inevitable conversation. "I just…I want to let you know again how sorry I am." He paused. "Especially Prom Night."

Kat shivered. "Please, let's not go there. We were both drunk. It's embarrassing enough."

"It should have never have happened. I know it must have hurt you—"

"Just one of many things on a list," she said, then cringed. "No, I didn't mean it to come out like that. I just meant that of all the things that happened, that wasn't the one that hurt me the most."

Tommy gulped again. "What was the thing that hurt the most?"

She paused, her hands shaking. "The whole thing with Divatrox. The second Kimberly's face came up on that screen, your face…" she smiled slightly. "Well, let's just say I'd never seen that look before. It was all there, Tommy. Love, fear, desperation, angst. Everything I'd wanted you to feel for me. It was then I realized that I was never going to be the girl for you."

Tommy nodded slowly, unable to configure an appropriate response.

"I'm glad you're here," he said finally. "I'm glad we had this talk. I hope we can be friends."

"Absolutely!" she beamed. "I don't know how long I should stay. I know you all have plenty going on _without_ me being here."

Tommy smiled. "I'm sure Darcy wouldn't mind having a friendly face staying here for too much longer."

"She's scared to _death,_ bless her soul. These awful creatures just attacked her. I had to take her from her boarding school in the middle of the night. She didn't get to say goodbye to anyone." She paused. "Although, I'm not completely sure she _had_ anyone to say goodbye too. I rather got the impression that her family was all dead."

"Sad story."

"Is there any other kind?"

"Some stories have happy endings," He said, suprising himself. He wasn't sure where that came from.

Kat looked at him, a tad bemused. "Channeling Kimberly, are we?"

"We should go out and be social," he said, quickly changing the subject. "We've been in here forever. We need to give the others a chance to catch up with you."

Kat laughed and reached for the door knob.

Jason slammed the glass down on the table, noting rather indifferently that the world was still spinning.

"I win!" He bellowed happily.

"Did not!" Kimberly slurred, pointing at one of the many Jason's that blurred in front of her. "You lost."

Jason considered this for a moment, loping his head to the side. "What happens if we lose, again?" he whispered dramatically.

Kimberly hiccupped. "Dunno!" she said, shrugging lopsidedly.

"New game!" He declared. "We shall now play 'Never Have I Ever'"

Kimberly groaned. "That game is _evil_."

"Nope. I am the drinking master. I have chosen."

"Drinking master?" she said, pushing herself up and pausing as she swayed back and forth. "Never have I ever run naked through the hallowed halls of Angel Grove High. Ha!"

Jason took a dignified sip. "It was Prom Night. I was about to graduate."

"Never have I ever jumped off a cliff naked in broad daylight."

Jason took another sip. "Never have I ever made fun of people who like to be naked."

Kimberly grabbed the bottle and took a sip, laughing the whole way. "Never have I ever admitted to enjoying being naked."

"Never have I ever gone skinny dipping in the ocean. In broad daylight."

"Jerk! Never have I ever hooked up with a teacher."

"It was a graduate student, that doesn't count. Never have I ever knowingly bragged about how flexible I am."

"You took that _way_ out of context. You have the humor of a ten year old. Never have I ever…" she trailed off, searching for her next move. "Oh! Never have I ever hooked up on a motorcycle."

"Never have I ever had sex with another Ranger."

Kimberly coughed up the shot she had just downed, and gave Jason an icy look. "Hitting a little bit low, aren't we?" she said, trying not to fall out of her chair.

"The motorcycle thing brought back bad memories."

"Sounds like my life at the present moment. No sympathy."

"Fine, never have I ever made out at the juice bar."

"This game is stupid."

Jason raised his eyebrows, drunkenly sensing a challenge. "Listen, Ms. Hart. I am not afraid to rehash all our shortcomings."

"We only have so much tequila."

"Touché."

Kimberly giggled and leaned forward. "Have you ever realized how much easier life would have been if we had fallen in love?"

Jason smiled at her, trying to ignore the loneliness that was beginning to creep in with the strange euphoria. "Please. Life wouldn't be that kind." he told her.

"Of course not," she said, turning around in her chair once again. "I have to be in love with stupid Tommy Oliver and you have to be in love with Kat. As if our lives weren't complicated enough."

"Yup," Jason said nodding. "Wait, what?"

Kimberly giggled and continued to spin in her chair. "Don't worry. I'm the only one that's figured it out."

"When?"

"The night I met Emily."

"What? How?"

"Please, it was a classic case of replacement." Kimberly hiccupped. "A pretty, tall blonde that started out as a trouble maker but then—" Kimberly adopted a high pitched squeal "—rejected her evil ways and renounced all wrong doing after encountering the good guys."

"She—I---there was no replacing."

"Liar. You've thought Kat was hot all along."

"Well I am male. But Tommy's my best friend. I would never—" he dropped off upon seeing Kimberly's face. "Oops."

"Why did you say oops?"

"Because you…nevermind."

"Me? What did I do?"

"Let's play 'Take a Shot' again!"

"Jason! Finish your sentence."

He sighed. "I would never do that to Tommy."

"But they're over? Aren't they over? You told me they were over."

"I guess! But they've been in that damn room—I'm sorry, I'm drunk. I shouldn't have said that."

Kimberly was quiet. "How drunk do you have to be to forget?" she said, her brow twisted in pain. "I keep thinking I can keep drinking to the point where I forget. But he's just…he's everywhere! When I'm awake, when I'm asleep, when I'm eating, when I'm taking a shower. I can't escape him. And now….now I can't escape _her_ either."

"She's not a bad person, Kimberly." Jason said quickly. "I know you two have a history, but she's wonderful—"

"I can't do it!" Kimberly said, panic increasing. "I can't watch them get back together. I just…" she quickly reached for the bottle, her hand shaking so badly she could barely lift it.

Jason looked at her, miserable.

Kimberly stared at the bottle for a few minutes. "No!" She suddenly exclaimed. "I am _not_ going to be miserable. I have killed a pretty bunch of brain cells tonight. I'm going to feel like _shit_ tomorrow. I'm not going to let it have been for nothing."

Jason raised his eyebrows. "What do you suggest?"

Kimberly gave him a long, calculated look. "Karaoke."

* * *

Zach's shoes tapped menacingly as he made his way down the marbled floors towards the Oval Office, his head pounding with every step.

_It's like a damn drum_, he thought bitterly. _Every beat closer to my execution._

He walked through the doors, back straight, face unreadable. He was not about to let the President of the United States on to the mind numbing fear that was nearly paralyzing him. No, for him, he would present his ever present poker face.

The President stood in greeting, surrounded by a few of his most trusted officials. "Senator Taylor," he said, extending his hand. "I'm glad to see you well,"  
"And you as well," he said, smiling what he hoped was a charismatic smile. "Shall we get down to business?"

The President motioned for him to be seated. "By all means! He nodded his head towards the gruff men sitting directly to the left of Zach. "You remember these gentlemen, I suppose?"

"Of course," he said, nodding in acknowledgement to the Joint Chief of Staff. "I trust you gentlemen are all well?"

"I've been better," the meanest looking replied. "You're causing quite the commotion these days."

"I assure you, it's very necessary. Everything we've heard about the prophecy is true. My agents have secured the six youths I spoke about at our last meeting. We are all prepared to go forth with the necessary ritual the second the craft in question can land."

"But the _world_ isn't ready!" A man named Dreyfus spoke up. "You can sit there and tell me what we have to do to save the world, yadayadayada. The second you try and land a space craft in the United States, it's going to be chaos on our hands! The people will panic, we'll have to declare a state of emergency and reinstate martial law just to get everything under control! And even if we do manage to calm the people down, once our allies see that we are in contact with _aliens_, then they're going to blow us up just on principle!"

"I think you underestimate the spirit of humans," Zach said calmly. "You can say what you want to about the job the FBI has done to attempt and cover up the other alien encounters. But I was a Power Ranger, as my file will show. I lived in Angel Grove. I assure you, the people there _know_ the things they have seen aren't because of something in the water, or from bad chicken, or whatever bullshit you're selling them these days. People have been speculating for years as to whether it's plausible, if aliens really exist. We have a chance to confirm their suspicions in the best way possible—to show them that these aliens can be our _friends_, that they can even help us save _our_ planet."

"You say that now. Wait until the religious groups get a hold of this! They will view this as the government's undermining of their religion—they'll want us all at the stake! And, oh God, the Press! They'll have a field day with this one! I can see it now!"

"The people will ultimately be the ones to decide," Zach said, his jaw clenched.

"Yes, and that's a risky maneuver," The President spoke up, quietly observing this exchange from his desk.

"Without the craft landing, Dr. Cranston will not be able to land," Zach said, growing impatient. "Without Dr. Cranston, the world will be overcome by alien attacks and ultimately be destroyed. Either way, gentlemen, aliens will soon be a normal occurrence. It is up to you to decide which way it's going to be."

"You underestimate the United States Armed Forces, son—"

"Because they were _excellent_ at fighting them the first time, weren't they?"

The vain in Dreyfus's forehead turned bright purple as his eyes bulged. "You hold your tongue—"

"Can't admit your precious little project failed? Well, it did Seymour! The only force capable of stopping the world's destruction is _my_ force. Take it or leave it,"

"Gentlemen," the President said again, interrupting the heated debate. "It is obvious that the space craft must land. What is not obvious, however, is how we deal with this."

"We can try to touch down in a desert," James Huntingdon suggested.

Zach shook his head. "No good. We've already checked with the Airlines. There's no way something this huge won't show up on their radars."

"Even if we declare a no fly zone?"

"You can't _hide_ them!" Zach burst out. "They are coming to earth with the intentions on starting positive relations between the Intergalactic Force and earth. If we deny them to the public, act as if we're ashamed of them, they won't cooperate with us and all will be lost." Zach paused, trying to prevent the desperation he was feeling from spilling forth. "We _need_ them, sir. Without their help, we're doomed."

The President rested with his hands under his chin. "Alright, then," he finally said. "It's settled. Tomorrow I will give a Press Conference saying that, after being faced with eminent danger, have decided to open contact with this newly discovered Intergalactic Force, who have agreed that joining forces is the best way to defeat these evils. In the meantime, we need to warn the other countries that this is coming. I don't want a single one of them to be surprised."

Zach breathed a sigh of relief, a smile rising to his face.

_So it begins. _

_

* * *

_

_This is what hell is going to be like, isn't it?_ Jason thought miserably, as Kimberly poorly performed Cher's "Half Breed," for what felt like the millionth time.

"Do you not know any other song?" He moaned, a headache slowly starting to sink in behind his eyes.

"Nope!" she said happily, swaying from side to side.

_At least it's better than her brief Britney Spears faze. _

He sighed, wondering how much more tequila it was going to take to make Kimberly pass out.

"Your turn!" she happily announced.

"Kimberly, I haven't sung once. What makes you think I'm going to automatically start this time?"

"Because I asked you nicely?"

"Now I _know_ you're drunk."

"Soooo sleepy."

"Then go to sleep!"

She paused for a moment, weighing her options. "Okay then!" she said, and sliding off the chair and cuddling on the floor, immediately went to sleep.

Jason stared at her in amazement. "Wow," he said aloud. "I always thought she was crazy, but now it's completely confirmed."

"What's confirmed?" A voice spoke from behind him. A beautiful, Australian voice.

_Shit. I'm fucked._

He turned slowly to see Kat standing in front of him. "Kimberly…she's…never mind."

_There's not enough Tequila in the world for this._

"Have you been drinking?" Kat asked, smiling slightly as she made her way towards him, sitting down in the spot where Kimberly had just been sitting.

"A little," he slurred, taking another sip of the nearly empty bottle.

"Easy!" she said, taking the bottle from him. "It would appear you've had enough."

"I'm a big boy. I can handle it."

"Oh I don't doubt that," she said, the smile in her voice increasing.

Jason stared at her, fighting a very conscious battle between drunk and sober. _Do not do anything stupid_.

"You and Tommy catch up?" he said, watching her face fall.

_Like that._

She regained composure rather quickly. "Actually, yes," she said. "I had a chance to explain my point of view."

"How'd he take it?"

"Well, I was nice about it."

"Why?"

She sighed. "Because, after years of therapy, it has been brought to my attention that I had a dangerous addiction to bad boys who are emotionally unavailable."

Jason gave her a bemused smile. "I would hardly call Tommy a 'bad boy'. I was twice the bad ass he was."

Kat laughed. "Still. He fought evil and was completely in love with another girl. I was too silly to let go."

"And you paid someone to tell you that? I could have told you that five years ago."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I was afraid of how it might sound?"

"And how might it sound?"

Jason looked at her, a part of him wanting to confess the loneliness he felt.

"Did Tommy apologize?"

Kat met Jason's eyes and stared at him intently for what felt like hours, trying to read his emotions. "He really had nothing to apologize for."

"Don't pretend like he didn't hurt you. I saw it all the time. We all did." He added quickly.

"But he didn't mean to. And for that, I can't make him apologize. If I had said something, or made him fight for me, or demanded he love just me…then he'd have something to actually be sorry for. I just swept it all under the rug."

"Why? Why did you bother?"

Kat looked down into the bottle. "How terrible is this stuff?" she asked, hesitantly.

"Pretty damn bad. Does a good job getting you drunk."

Throwing her head back, she downed as much as she could swallow.

"I bothered," she said finally, meeting a shocked Jason's eyes. "Because for the first time in my life I had friends. People who knew everything about me. I didn't want to mess that up. Tommy had been your friend first—for me to ruin that dynamic would have been social suicide. Besides, I was silly. I firmly believed that if I loved him enough, he would come around."

Jason looked at her carefully, all common sense in his head pushed aside. "And Prom Night?"

Kat looked alarmed. "Did he tell you?"

"No. He couldn't."

Kat sighed. "It was terrible. Here I was, all decked out, and he could barely notice me. Graduation was coming up, and I knew it was all coming to an end. I just…I wanted to show him that I loved him. So, the after party, we were both drunk for the first time, and I tried to initiate…well…you know." She paused, blushing. "I don't know why, looking back. I guess I figured I might as well make one more attempt to connect with him."

Jason ignored the anger that was now predominately controlling his mind. "And?"

"He pushed me away. Told me, in a fabulously drunken state that I wasn't 'her'. That I could never be like 'her'. I walked home by myself, crying the whole way. It was terrible."

Jason held his tongue, afraid of what he might say.

"After that, I just put on a brave face. I knew it was over. I was just waiting for him to tell me."

"It had been over for awhile." Jason told her, as gently as possible.

"I know that now," she said. "But at the time…I just wanted to mean something to someone. I wanted to be the reason someone was fighting, the way Kimberly was to Tommy years after she broke his heart." She stopped. "Now, I realize that it was stupid. That pain and love aren't mutually exclusive. That I should have looked in places that made me happy, not in places that constantly made me feel like I wasn't good enough."

Jason sighed, looking at Kimberly's peacefully slumbering figure. "Sometimes pain and love can't help but walk hand and hand."

Kat gave a small smile. "I suppose. But I think we all reach a point where we have to let go of the fear. We have to forget what happened to us, what could have happened, and just realize that all we have in this life is one shot."

"You are perfect, did you know that?" Jason was shocked at the words leaving his lips. _Didn't mean to say that._

Kat's lips formed a small smile. "Thank you," she said, finally. "It's been a long time since I've been able to talk to someone who understands me." Their eyes connected, and Jason felt a surge of energy through his currently numb body.

A loud snore interrupted them. _Damn it, Kimberly_! He thought. _Three years of listening to you bitch and I can't even have a moment?_

"We should probably get her upstairs," Kat said, still looking at Jason with an odd expression on her face. "She can't be too comfortable on the floor."

"It doesn't matter where she sleeps," Jason said dully. "Wherever she wakes up, she's going to wish she wasn't born."

"Rough night?"

"Let's just say that bottle of Tequila didn't drink itself."

Kat giggled, and held the door for Jason has he lifted Kimberly up and prepared to bring her upstairs.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: A-Prophesy Now**

The sun was scarcely up before Trini's phone rang, jarring her from a peaceful sleep.

"Hello?" she grumbled, barely conscious. "I don't know who you are but it is 5:30 in the morning. If you are not bleeding or otherwise in an intense amount of pain, hang up before I find out who this is and kill you."

"Are you always this charming in the mornings?" Zach voice rang out, that ever present laughter still in his voice.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"You have no idea. Get up, turn on the tv."

"Why? What's going on."

"Just do it."

Crawling out of bed, she padded down the hall to the den, clicking on the tv.

"Oh my God!" she said, after a moment. "I don't believe it! Jason! Kimberly! Tommy! Kat! You guys have got to see this!"

"I told you it would happen!" Zach's voice spoke happily. "Billy's coming home."

"Not so loud," Jason whispered, having just appeared. "My head is killing me—"

"What's going on?" Tommy appeared in the doorway, followed by Kat.

"Look!" Trini said happily, turning up the volume.

"The President has announced today what many have suspected for a long time," the newscaster said, their tone serious and engaging. "That aliens are among us, and that the government has been in contact with them." The screen shifted, and the President's composed face came on the screen.

"Not too long ago, California Senator Zachary Taylor came to me with some intelligence of the utmost importance. He had procured specific information about intergalactic beings found just outside our galaxy. Upon this discovery, we realized that earth, like the rest of the universe, will soon be caught in an intergalactic war. With this knowledge resting on our heads, the United States, along with many other National Leaders, have decided to shake the hand offered to us in friendship, to join forces with what is known as the 'Intergalactic Force", and help combat these evil forces together. With that said, I ask the citizens of the United States to be as welcoming as possible. Instead of fearing what we do not understand, let us embrace it cautiously. Today, a flight containing several Intergalactic Leaders will land. I ask that everyone refrain from panicking—I assure you, this world is in excellent hands."

"I don't believe it!" Kat said, excitement mounting. "I never thought they'd come out and admit to it! This is huge!"

"Zach and Billy can come home now!" Trini said, tears of joy rising in her eyes. "All the originals will be here. We can perform the ritual!" Pausing, She looked over her shoulders at her three friends. "Where's Kimberly?"

"If she's awake, praying for death," Jason replied evenly, his headache forgotten as he focused on the television screen. "I can't believe he pulled it off."

"Go Zach!" Trini cried enthusiastically, all sleepiness replaced with adrenalin. "The media seems to be taking this really well!"

"It's not that much of a stretch," Tommy said, fairly. "People have always known something strange was happening. Now, the strangeness has a name." He cast a sidelong look at Jason. "What happened to you?"

"Had a little too much fun last night," He muttered. "Kimberly doesn't look like it, but she can drink pretty hard when she wants to."

Tommy tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice. "Had to keep her company?"

"Drunk and lonely is a bad combination."

Tommy did not reply, but looked at Jason again.

_No_. He thought. _No way. She and Jason would never. They're like brother and sister._

"Exactly how often do you two combat the loneliness together?"

Jason sighed, walking to the kitchen and grabbing a bagel.

"Every few weeks we get really drunk. Then we start talking about how lonely we are, and the next thing you know, we're waking up naked next to one another with nothing but foggy memories and one hell of an afterglow." He paused, highly entertained by a now colorless Tommy swaying back and forth, clearly torn between hitting Jason and getting drunk himself.

"I'm kidding, you asshole. Stop asking questions that are heavy with implications."

"I wasn't implying anything." Tommy said, his color swiftly returning. "I was just ensuring the future survival of your livers."

"Well, then," Jason said, in between his large mouthful of bagel. "On behalf of me and Kim's livers…thank you. But as Kim so gracefully put it last night—of all the things that are going to kill us, our livers aren't one of them." He paused. "Although, I doubt she'll remember saying it."

"You're in a good mood for someone who should be incredibly hungover," Kat said cheerfully, moving into the kitchen and leaning on the counter. "Hopefully Kim will be fairing just as well."

"I highly doubt that." Jason scoffed. "She drank just as much as I did and she is at least a hundred pounds lighter than I am." He took another enthusiastic bite of his bagel. "Actually, she's probably still drunk."

"I can't believe it!" Trini said, hanging up the phone and jumping up. "He really did it!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Jason said, shrugging. "So Zach had a long talking session and got his way. Woo hoo."

"You're just jealous that you've been trudging through mud for three years while Zach got to live the high life," Trini said, smiling mischievously.

"God, Trini. You've got to get over this crush over Zach. You're kind of making me want to throw up a little."

Trini did not respond, but instead, threw a bagel that hit Jason with remarkable accuracy.

"I do not have a crush," she said at last, blushing profusely. "But I do have amazing accuracy when it comes to wielding breakfast food as weapons. Proceed with caution."

"Duly noted."

Grinning, Trini turned back to the TV, eagerly awaiting the day.

* * *

Kimberly lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, attempting to comprehend all subtle meanings of the words "ready to die".

_Pain_, she thought miserably. _Lots and lots of pain. Oh, oh no. Stomach feeling nauseous. Must make it to the toilet. Moving! No! No moving! Only praying for death. Ow, my head. My head! No noises! No light! Complete and total darkness, and don't move. No, for the love of God, stop moving. Moving makes it worse._

"Knock, knock!" Trini said brightly, opening the door.

"Shhhh," Kimberly whispered, attempting to stay perfectly still. "No loud noises!"

Trini giggled, albeit quieter. "Looks like someone had too much tequila—"

"Not the t-word!" Kimberly moaned, trying to roll over. "Unless you're here to shoot me between the eyes, leave."

"I made you some of my mom's famous hangover remedy," she said, placing it by the bed. "The first couple of sips will make you throw up, but after that, you're golden."

Kimberly moaned at the words "throw up."

"I have some good news!" Trini said, happy despite her friend's obvious pain. "Zach made it happen! Billy is coming home!"

"That's great!" Kimberly meekly uttered, eyeing the greenish concoction Trini had placed by her bed. "When do they get here?"

"Zach wasn't sure. He thinks Billy's supposed to land soon. Apparently there's no way of knowing the exact time."

Kimberly rubbed her eyes, trying to soothe the jackhammer that was behind them. "Can't wait."

Trini laughed. "Just drink Mama Kwan's herbal remedy. You'll feel better."

Kimberly eyed her. "Before or after I puke my guts out?"

"If you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch."

"I hate you. You and your unhungoverness."

"That's not a word."

"Do I look like I'm in a state to care about whether a word may or may not—" Kimberly gagged.

Trini giggled. "Fine, I'll leave you alone. But drink the stuff. You're not going to like it, but it will help, I promise." She left, leaving Kimberly alone to ogle the green remedy.

_Here goes nothing_, she thought.

* * *

Hayley walked through the door, holding sack full of groceries.

"Someone?" she called out. "Conner? Trent? I have more groceries out in the car!" She moved into the living room, stopping dead at the sight of two new faces.

"Hello." She said shortly, staring at Kat Hillard. "You're Kat."

"Guilty as charged," she said, happily. "You must be Hayley? Tommy's told me so much about you."

"Likewise," she said, smiling uncertainly. "And you are?"

Kat prodded Darcy, who made no move to speak. "This is Darcy," she said. "She's a bit shy."

"I see…" Hayley said, clearly not understanding. "Any idea as to where I might find Tommy?"

"Check the basement," Kat said. "I think he was down there setting up."

"Thank you," she said smiling, rushing to the counter to put down the groceries and then went flying down the stairs.

"Has your life always been this complicated?" She asked at the door, a look of concern on her face.

"No." he replied shortly. "And frankly, if it doesn't go back to normal soon, I'm moving to Iowa and changing my name to David Smith."

"Your two ex girlfriends are staying with us. Do they know?"

"Yes. At least, I'm assuming Kimberly remembers Kat is here. She had a little episode with a tequila bottle last night."

"Poor thing!"

"I'm just not sure I can handle them being in the same room with one another."

"But they're friends, aren't they?"

"Friendly or not, that's like a buffet of awkwardness. What if they start comparing notes?"

"About how you are in bed?" Hayley said, raising her eyebrows.

Tommy threw up his hand. "I quit," he said. "Everyone in this damn house has the mind of a sixteen year old boy."

Hayley laughed. "Sorry, I guess I've been hanging around Jason too much."

"Clearly."

"So, I saw the news. Any of your friends coming to visit?"

"Expect the last two to come sometime soon—Zach and Billy." He paused. "All the old gang will be here."

Hayley looked at him softly. "Is that a good thing?"

"Yeah," he said slowly, tossing a mat on to the other side of the room and refusing to meet her eyes.

"What aren't you telling me?" she asked, hands on her hips.

He sighed. "I'm not sure…it's a hard thing to explain."

"Well try. I, for one, am not going to put up with your cavemen grunts and moans. If you have a problem, use your words."

"Being with all of them—" he started. "It just, it brings me back. To a time where life wasn't jaded."

"That must have been a long time ago."

"It feels like centuries."

"Tommy, no one expects you to have stayed the same. No one is going to fault you if, for once, you're a little world weary. They'll love you anyway."

Tommy shrugged. "I guess," he said. "I know they'll always be my friends…I guess I'm just afraid of what this is going to mean for them." He paused. "We're not kids anymore. We don't have that innocence, that naivety to protect us. Life is harder now, and we've all been changed for it. If we have to go in battle again—what code are we going to follow? Everything has changed—I'm not sure if we can even fight as a team anymore."

Hayley stared at him for a second, clucking her tongue, torn between telling him a comforting lie or what she thought to be the truth.

_Oh hell,_ she thought. _I've never lied in my life. Why start now?_

"Tommy?" she said, as gently as she could. "That's ridiculous and stupid."

"Come again?"

"Why are you attempting to isolate yourself from these people? I mean, is it some bizzare abandonment issue that stemmed from Kimberly leaving? Or I mean, are you just antisocial?"

"I am _not_—"

"Then why, when you are confronted with old friends, suddenly turn your back on them? Suddenly start getting all surly and wondering whether or not there is still a place for you? I mean, good Lord Tommy! You're almost thirty…when the hell are you planning on growing up? Stop being insecure and deal with the fact that these people love you and want you in their lives!"

Tommy pouted. "Fine."

"Good! Now get up there and be social!" Hayley said, hands on her hips. "And so help me, if you get into one of those pitying moments again, I will murder you."

Tommy did not hesitate in heading for the stairs. He had seen that look on her face before. She wasn't kidding.

* * *

The only thing that motivated Kimberly enough to get out of her bed was the fact that Trini Kwan must now die.

She had heeded her friend's advice and, as a consequence, had been vomiting for the better part of thirty minutes. Miserable, wretchedly heaving, staring down at the toilet and praying for death.

Oh yes. Trini was going down. Assuming Kimberly could make it to wherever Trini was without passing out. And assuming Kimberly could somehow summon the body strength to hit her.

Kimberly gripped the side of the hallway, praying that the world would stop spinning. She was able to make it into the dining room before she was forced to abruptly sit in a chair, laying her head in her arms.

"Everything okay?" a voice behind her spoke cautiously. Kimberly almost threw up on principle—Tommy.

_Of course._ She thought. _I feel and look like death and I run into Tommy._

"Mmm hmm," she said softly, praying that the spinning would stop. She slowly raised her head, letting Tommy's figure come into focus. "I had…a rough night," she gagged.

A bemused smile crossed his lips. "I can see that,"

Kimberly tried to imagine how horrible she looked, but gave up. Yes. Trini was going to die. She tried to envision herself saying something impeccably awesome to prevent this already tragic situation from dipping further and further into the "I'm going to need therapy" sector. However, the intensity of her pain prevented her from thinking.

"Do you need anything?" Tommy said, lifting his arm like he was going to pat her on the back, then changing his mind and returning it (rather awkwardly) to his side.

"Water," she said, meekly, laying her head on the table and taking momentary comfort in the coolness.

_Well, at least he's not running away from me._ She thought bitterly, as he gently set a glass of water in front of her. She managed a weak reply, cautiously staring up at him.

"Is there anything else?" he said, somewhat strangely, his eyes not moving from hers.

_So many, many, many things, _she thought. "No."

"Okay then," his tone suggested finality, but his rigid posture suggested he was incapable of movement. "Okay then," he said again, as if snapping out of a trance. "I take it you heard Billy and Zach are coming back today?"

Kimberly nodded. "Trini mentioned something about it when she came in my room earlier." She took a dutiful sip of her water. "It's great!"

"Yeah," Tommy said, reaching towards her again and stopping. "I probably should…I don't know…go help Hayley."

"Right." Kimberly said, inexplicably disappointed. "That's a good idea."

"Right," Tommy said, looking at her again. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Kimberly was slightly heartened to hear genuine concern in his voice. "Nothing time and sleep won't heal."

"Good." He said again, looking towards the door and seemingly willing himself towards it. Sighing, he turned and looked back at Kimberly.

"And just so you know…I'm sorry. About before, I mean. I don't hate you, either. I don't know what was wrong with me."

The jack hammer behind her eyes temporarily stopped throbbing.

"Thank you," she said, somewhat confused, unable to express another emotion.

"I just…I wanted you to know that."

"No, I appreciate it." She paused, somewhat wistfully. "Maybe now we can just work on training the future rangers."

He smiled at her, and her heart leapt.

_There he is_! She thought happily. _That smile, his smile. I haven't seen it yet. I wonder why he all of a sudden--_

The sickness instantly returned. _Of course. Kat's back. _

She kept her smile as steady as she could, until he had disappeared into the doorway.

* * *

The knock on the door came strongly at two in the morning, much to Tommy's dismay.

"I'm coming!" A sleepy Tommy shouted, stumbling towards the door. He cast a glare at Jason's sleeping form through squinted eyes. "You were closer, you know. Would it have killed you to answer the door?"

"I wasn't willing to test it," He said, his voice muffled by the pillow his head was currently buried in.

Tommy swung back the door to reveal the knocking offenders—Zach and Billy.

"Surprise!" a well dressed Zach said, his signature grin lighting up his face. "Sorry it's so late, but they just flew us in," he stepped inside quickly, Billy following rather happily behind him. "They tried to keep Billy's space craft landing as quiet as possible. It makes it a little easier for the people to accept if they discover it doesn't interrupt their daily lives."

"You don't say?" Tommy said, grinning. "Get in here, both of you! I was wondering when you two were going to show up,"

A blur of black hair whizzed past Tommy as Trini's arms enthusiastically circled both Zach and Billy's necks. "You're here!" Trini said, tears glinting in her eyes. "Jason! Kimberly! Get up! Zach and Billy are back!"

"Hey guys!" Kimberly appeared now, somewhat sleep ridden. "I've missed you!"

Zach laughed at Kimberly's disheveled form. "Been into the tequila, I see."

"Now I remember why I've sworn it off,"

"Then clearly you forgot that Christmas Party we went to that one time,"

Kimberly cringed. "I've just gotten past the throwing up. Please don't mention that."

Zach laughed, and wrapped his arm around Trini's neck, who positively beamed with happiness.

"We're all together," she said, happily. "The original six! I didn't think it would ever happen."

"You're such a cornball," Jason teased her, slapping Billy on the back. "Good to see you back, Bill. How is the intergalactic commute treating you?"

"Somewhat tumultuously," he replied easily. "Everything was relatively normal until the entrance into the Milky Way. We had a rather unfortunate encounter with a protoplanetary disk that was nearly fatal."

Tommy yawned, and looked expectantly at Trini, expecting a translation. Trini, on the other hand, was too excited to slow down.

"You must be exhausted!" she said, ushering them in. "We'll have to put you in Tommy's workshop/office space. I've set up some cots down there. Billy, you'll feel right at home—his friend Hayley has developed all these interesting computer systems—"

"Easy, tiger. Let the boy breathe. You just heard him. He's had a hellish day,"

Trini led the way downstairs, followed by a throng of ex Rangers.

"I must say," Billy said, upon entering the room. "You have amassed a very technologically sound database." He bent over one of the computers and began typing.

"Thanks, man," Tommy said, clapping him on the back, unsure of what to say.

Zach yawned. "God, I'm tired." He said, looking at Trini and then smiling. "There's something about changing the world's history that makes a man want some sleep."

"Oh stop!" she said, playfully batting his arm. "You're not that cool."

He mocked pouted. "I think I am."

Tommy exchanged a glance with Jason, who pretended to throw up behind Zach's back. Laughing, he turned towards the stairs.

"I'm off to bed," he said. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Yeah, me too," Kimberly said, who had stayed relatively quiet in the doorway. "I need to sleep off this hangover. I'll see you two in the morning!"

Kimberly and Tommy had barely been out of the room for a second before Trini turned to Billy.

"And the prophesy?" she said, her voice filled with dread. "Have you figured anything else out?"

Billy sighed, bending over the computer and typing furiously. "I wish I could report some better news, but unfortunately I cannot. I know no more now than when I spoke with you earlier."

"Nothing?" Trini said, her face falling. "But that's impossible—"

"We've been pouring over it for hours, Trini. I'm sorry."

"What if we were to view the prophecy in its original language?" Jason asked. "Maybe we're missing something structurally."

"A complete impossibility," Billy said, rubbing his eyes. "You see, unlike any of the earth specific languages, most alien languages are complicated algorithms involving a complex form of mathematics, in which each integer is assigned a possibility of different meanings."

"They use numbers instead of letters?" Trini asked, surprised.

"Affirmative. This is what enables them to achieve such great levels of technology. Whereas our computers are only capable of processing a language of ones and zeros, their language is far more complex, and more symbolic. The symbol of a number is really just a placeholder for a variety of meanings. All except for a few symbols."

"Meaning…"

"The explanation is too long, and earthly words won't do it justice. But, essentially, each number in their system essentially means something. The earlier numbers (our equivalent of one, two, three) all mean something regarding the religious practices. Four refers to survival of the alien race. Five refers to war."

"That's fascinating," Trini said. "Go on."

Billy looked surprised. "I had no idea you'd find the nuances of technology so worthwhile. Six, I am told, refers to solidarity and friendship—the reason Lythmore created six stones. It is supposed to be the strongest number. Seven refers to sorrow. Eight refers for eternity."

"And it goes on like that, forever?" Jason asked, skeptical. "Each number means something until you reach a million?"

"As you might have correctly deducted, this structure of mathematics is hardly comparable to those on earth," Billy said. "But it is, in effect, the same idea. Ultimately, the smaller the number is, the more important it is."

"What do the other numbers mean?"

"I could go on for days. Certain numbers are more ceremonial than anything—what we know as thirteen is the variable that refers to soul mates—it's used in all binding ceremonies."

"If each number has set meaning, than how on earth do they name their children?" Jason asked, still skeptic. "Their names must be ten numbers long."

"It is still a rather common practice to name oneself," Billy said. "At an infant's conception, they are typically assigned one variable. After the child is born, it is common practice for the child to acquire more numbers to their name, typically after certain events."

"I don't get it,"

"For instance, let's say that at a child's conception, the mother is touched by the beauty of nature. She would then introduce the first integer into the name—Keym, meaning beauty, the variable we know as nine. As Keym grows, she is revealed to be a very loving, caring person. Her parents will then decide to add "Lorth" to her name, or the number ten, meaning 'mother'. When she comes of age at our equivalent of sixteen, she will choose to add another part of her name. Depending on the path she takes in life, and how much glory she brings to herself, she will continue to add numbers to her name. The highest honor in life is assigned at death—Thom. It means sixteen, or 'glory'."

"So their entire life is essentially is working towards a sum?" Jason said. "Their entire life is defined by mathematics?"

"As it their language," Billy said, in what appeared to be enthusiasm. "Essentially, their greatest literary works are just complex math equations."

"So, basically, you've been living in your own version of paradise for the past five years?"

"Precisely."

"So that's it?" Trini said, her face falling. "There's no alternative to the prophecy? The translation is set in stone?"

"I'm afraid I see no other alternative," Billy said, sighing. "I do request that you look over my work—see if you can find any nuance of language I've missed." With that, he pulled the translated prophecy on the screen.

They read:

_transition, adaptation, a mixing of two worlds into one shall occur,_

_and in these days of new, an event shall pass that will change the world_

_the length of the Journey, and not the Outcome is the key. _

_earthly letters written with spacey stamps _

_the six shall double, old and young,_

_past, present, future, ascend the throne of the ancient powers of lythmore_

_and, hence, provide the world's salvation._

_Distance, and Mirrors falling from the sky, reflecting on all three _

_and on the third day, the original pink shall fight, seeking to protect the innocent_

_rise in righteousness and fall into wickedness._

_henceforth possessed, she will rein in terror,_

_the solution found through her heart, cross the sword of the ancient green_

_the Cause is seated in Blood, the solution found there as well._

_spilled for all, martyred for hell. _

Trini shivered. "That sounds terrible."

Jason nodded, his blood getting colder by the second. "What about the parts we can't understand? About the mirrors, and distance and all that?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. More than likely they are flippant remarks meant to enhance the beauty of the prophecy's language."

"So that's it, then? Kimberly has no choice but to turn evil and be killed by Tommy?"

Hayley looked at the prophecy carefully. "We're missing something," she whispered, unheard by the others.

"The prophecies have erred before," Billy said, without any conviction in his voice. "I think it's a high possibility that, should we ignore the prophecy, and just insist on holding Kimberly captive in the house, that the events of the prophecy will not be set in motion, and therefore, avoided all together."

"And how exactly do you keep her from going out of the house?" Jason said, skeptically.

"Well, you could always force her to consume vast amounts of alcoholic beverages, resulting in a severe dehydration that induces vomiting."

Trini looked at him skeptically. "You want us to make Kimberly hungover?"

"It's seemed to currently be very effective in keeping her from moving."

Jason shrugged. "He has a point."

Trini cringed. "I don't like this," she said, panic building. "We need a better plan!"

"I'm afraid that is an impossibility, Trini."

Trini sighed. "Fine, then under no circumstances does Kim leave the house—for at least a week after the ritual. If we can throw off the numbers, than maybe we stand a chance."

Jason shivered at those words, feeling a power underneath them that he could not quite comprehend.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10—Power Rangers Ride Again**

_I need a cold shower._ Tommy thought miserably, as he wearily trudged back up the stairs towards his room.

_You really think a cold shower is going to help? _Another voice mocked. _Fuck cold water. Whisky is going to be the only thing to solve that problem. _

He felt bad abandoning Billy and Zach so soon after their arrival—he had missed them more than he understandably could account for. Be that as it may, their arrival had come in the midst of one of Tommy's more vivid and (needless to say_) interesting_ dreams regarding Kimberly.

_Interesting_? Tommy scoffed. _Try "high definition with surround sound". _

Try as he might, the visions of her mouth on his, the smoothness of her skin underneath his fingertips, the smell of her hair—it blended together like some euphoric acid trip. She was the only drug he had ever tried, and he had spent a lifetime trying to curb the withdrawal.

And yet, nearly a decade later, there she was. Under his skin, like she had been all along. Hating her was futile—she didn't deserve it, therefore his hate refused to sustain itself. Being indifferent to her was impossible—she ignited too much feeling within him. Loving her was the worst possible choice of all—aside from the fact she was clearly over it, it had nearly destroyed him before. There was too much at stake for him to blow it all over a mistake he would make for the second time.

_But what a way to go. _

_Stop it!_ He scolded himself. _It's over. You're not sixteen anymore. You are an adult. You're giving her too much power over you. _

Sighing, he pushed the door open to his room, trying to ignore the surge of loneliness he felt as he observed its plainness.

This hadn't been part of the plan. He always thought they'd be married by now, have children. They would both be teaching at the same high school, taking their lunches together, getting home in time to make dinner for the kids. Never in a million years would he have thought they'd both be caught up in some insane plot to save the world from aliens—even more to the point, never would he have thought they'd do it alone.

Shaking his head, he pulled back his covers and climbed into bed again, pretending he couldn't remember the way she had laid in bed with him, her head on his chest. They had both been so young, but he could remember thinking how effortless it felt, how comfortable. He knew he could have spent the rest of his life like that.

_But she couldn't._ he thought, a sadness growing inside of him. _And I can't hate her for that anymore. I just have to move on. _

He pulled off his shirt again, praying that the dreams that had plagued him would suddenly cease.

_Isn't sleep supposed to be restful? _

Sighing, he pulled the covers closer to him, and closed his eyes, praying that there would finally be some peaceful sleep.

Until he heard the screaming.

_

* * *

She was trapped._

_There was no escaping, no moving, no breathing. She was no longer Kimberly Hart—no, Kimberly Hart was dead now. This _thing_ was taking over her body, suffocating her until there was nothing left but a silent scream._

Are you well acquainted with pain, child?_ It mocked her, and she felt her body stripped of all its defenses. _You shall watch the faces of those you love be struck down, one by one, by your own hand.

_She wanted to scream desperately, call for help, but it was futile. This monster was winning, and she was helpless to stop it._

_And then, she saw their faces: Trini, Billy, Jason, Zach._

_Tommy. _

_All of them, at the end of her sword, begging her to stop. She wanted to so desperately…oh how she wanted to appease them._

_NO! She cried desperately. Please! Stop! They are my friends!_

_The mocking laughter surrounded her as she dug the sword deeper into their stomachs, seeing their eyes twist with pain, their blood spilling freely._

_Because of her. Oh God, no. Please let it not be true. _

_The monster released his hold on her, and she felt her lungs fill up, and then, quickly released—an eternally tormented scream that would have no end. _

* * *

"Kimberly?" Tommy whispered to himself, sitting up straight, the blood draining from his face. The scream did not cease, cutting through his ears like a blow to his gut.

_The others cannot hear her_, he realized. _They're still downstairs. She's all by herself._

Without meaning to, he was already through the door and halfway down to her room, goose bumps rising on his arms, her screams reverberating through his ears. They were louder now, more desperate.

_She needs me._

He threw open the door to find her balled up on her bed, her hands clenched over her ears, her face twisted in pain.

"No!" She screamed, convulsing in clear pain. "Stop it!! _Stop it! _I said stop it! You can't make me!"

"Kimberly?" He said, tentatively, his voice lost in her screams. "_Kimberly_!"

His presence was completely lost to her, as she twisted back and forth, pleading with some unknown force to kill her before she could see anymore.

"Kimberly!" he said again, this time with a louder voice, grabbing her twisting head with both his hands. "It's Tommy. You're having a nightmare. _Wake up!"_

She opened her eyes, tears running down her face. "You're not real!" She cried, miserably. "You're not real, you're not real, you're not real—"

"Of course I am," He said, somewhat bemused. "Kimberly, it's just a nightmare—"

Her sobbing was getting worse by the second, his presence completely unnoticed.

He sighed, rubbing his temples. He knew what to do. It had been ten years, but he knew in his bones he could make her stop crying.

Pushing back the covers, he climbed in next to her, pulling her shaking form next to him.

"Shhhh," he whispered, stroking her back. "You're okay now. I have you."

Her shaking instantly stopped, her small hands desperately seeking his shoulders, where they established a firm grip.

"You're not real," she whispered again, clinging to him for dear life. "You're just a dream. I would never hurt Tommy. Never."

"I know," he whispered, surprised at the amount of hurt that surged through him. "I know you wouldn't."

"I wouldn't," she insisted, her eyes still closed. She inched her body closer to his, her sobbing decreasing slightly.

Tommy rubbed her back in a steady pattern, feeling her breathing slowly begin to regulate itself. "That's right," he consoled. "Just relax. It's just a nightmare."

"It's not," she whispered again, tears drying from her eyes. "It's not. It's real. It's going to happen."

"What's going to happen?" he said, stroking her hair, the sharp scent of strawberries invoking a sharp twist of a bittersweet pain.

Her answer was a strained sigh, and, still deeply asleep, she curled up against him, her breathing slowly returning to normal.

_Okay, buddy_, Tommy thought. _You've stopped her from crying. Mission accomplished. Time to go._

His body refused to move, his arms happily entwined with her sleeping figure.

_I mean it. Get up. You've got to stop torturing yourself like this._

Tommy sighed, and gently folded Kimberly's arms across her, rolling her gently on her side, and examined her face in the moonlight. It was calmer now, more serene. Whatever nightmare that had seized her imagination had been displaced, and now she rested comfortably.

He pulled himself up, stifling a groan from the soreness of his abs. Had it really only been a couple of days since he and Kimberly's fighting match? Where had the time gone?

Tommy made it to the door, casting one more glance over his shoulder at the sleeping figure, his brow creased with a brooding expression.

_Time doesn't heal all wounds, does it?_ He thought, taking no pleasure in the irony. _Sometimes you try so hard to heal, so hard to let go, and time does nothing but tear at the stitches, letting the wounds fester. _

Shaking his head, he silently crept from her room.

* * *

Hayley didn't know what prevented her from going into the room. She had spied Darcy in there a long time before, and knew that it was necessary she go in and help make her feel welcome. Hayley had longed discovered the beautiful feeling she got every time she helped make someone's day a little better. Darcy was no different.

_Then why aren't my feet moving?_ She thought, surprised.

_Just wait_, her instinct told her, pleading her patience. Hayley refused to fight it, having always trusted her judgment. At that particular moment, Kira came into view.

"Knock, knock," Kira said, slowly stepping into the den that contained Darcy, curled up in an arm chair.

"Oh, hello," she said, timid, using a tentative hand to hold her place in her book. "Am I disrupting you? I will happily move to another room—"

"No, not at all! I just wanted to make sure you were adjusting—" Kira inwardly cringed at how awkward that sounded. "I mean, not that you should adjust. I mean, I just wanted to let you know that I get what it's like to suddenly have your entire world stripped from you. And if you need a friend…"

Darcy gave her a slow smile. "I'd like that," she said. "And thank you. It's hard for me to make new friends, and right now I'm just so…overwhelmed. I appreciate you speaking to me."

Kira beamed. "Not a problem! What are you reading?"

Darcy blushed slightly, then met her eyes. "Shakespeare, actually. He's my favorite?"

"Wow! Shakespeare? Isn't he pretty tough to get through?"

"Not at all! The way he uses language…it's simply gorgeous!"

"I guess I kind of understand. I mean, I guess it's the same concept as writing a song. Only, you have the music to think about. I know not everyone does it this way, but I kind of let the music dictate where the song is going to go."

"It's the same thing, really, only with language it's a little bit more complicated. That's the beauty of language. Every little nuance, every little punctuation or capitalization can mean something if you need it to. It's controllable, interpretable. There's a million different possibilities that each contains, and if you find one that works—well, it's quite thrilling."

Hayley felt a chill run up her spine. _What is wrong with me?_ Turning abruptly, she made her way down to the basement, eager to catch the beginning of the very important meeting.

* * *

"But I thought by performing the ceremony, it would open up the crack and peril will rain down on earth? Can't we just wait awhile and see what happens?" Tommy's arms were crossed, his brow creased. "Doesn't that make sense?"

"That's irresponsible," Trini pointed out, somewhat bluntly. "We know there's a crack in the dimension that contains Lythmore and Ted. We know he's communicating with his minions, building forces. We can't just keep letting it fester, especially since we're going to feel the wrath of Ted anyway."

"He's going to find a way to escape, regardless." Jason's tone was stern. "I, for one, would rather know I have my powers and access to Zords. Especially since we don't know what we're up against."

"Exactly!" Tommy said, slamming his hand down on the table. "We don't know what we're up against." He turned towards Billy. "When Ted escapes, what is he going to look like? Are we talking big, scaly monster? What if he's larger than earth itself, and just swallows us whole? All the Zords in the world couldn't stop him!"

"There are several charts that have recorded the dimensions of this creature," Billy said, matter of factly. "His corporal form, while rather large and potentially harmful, would not be something our Zords could not handle."

"His corporal form?" Tommy said, not quite liking how that sounded.

Billy took off his glasses, rubbed at them quite nervously. "It seems that between the force used to capture this being, and the energy necessary to insure the dimension was firmly closed, that both Lythmore and the Original Evil are no longer, shall we say, hindered by their corporal form. Actually, it can be safely assumed that they will both need to possess some sort of earthly host if they wish to survive on earth's atmosphere."

"You mean Ted gets to choose which host he wants?" Kimberly said, her arms now crossed. "That doesn't exactly narrow it down."

"More importantly," Trini interrupted. "He's already been in communication with different extraterrestrial beings." She sat down at the computer and began to type vigorously. A picture appeared: a snake like figure, bright red, with yellow slits for eyes.

"He looks familiar," Kimberly said, moving towards the screen.

"He was the one who invented the Wrathians you're so friendly with," Trini said, sitting back. "His name is Ghidor. He's from a large constellation of planets near Aquitar. At the current moment, he is the one who is carrying out all of "his master's" plans."

"So, wouldn't it be a safe bet to assume Ted would want to possess him?"

"There is not enough data to ascertain that fact, presently." Billy spoke softly.

"But Lythmore would return as well?" Tommy said, hope swelling within him. "How will we find him?"

"According to the prophecy," Trini said slowly, her eyes locked on Ghidor's form. "According the prophecy, Lythmore can only be possessed by his Heir during the final battle."

"His Heir?" Kimberly said, a strange stirring behind her eyes. "Do we know who that is?"

"Not presently." Billy was looking uncomfortable.

Jason sighed. "So basically, we have no choice. We find the temple, we perform the necessary ritual, and we become Power Rangers again."

"Only if its what everyone wants," Trini said softly, looking around. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you all that this will have consequences. We don't have Zordon looking out for us anymore. We'd be fighting a very dangerous war, against much more difficult opponents than any of us have ever faced before. And," she said, casting a very telling glance at Tommy. "We'd be doing it _together_."

Zach smiled. "I'm in," he said shortly. "I've been waiting for this for awhile. It's time to save the world."

Jason nodded, slapping Zach on the back. "Me too, man. It's not like I have that much of a social life to sacrifice anyway."

"My choice is rather obvious," Billy said smiling. "One does not make an intergalactic commute to simply enjoy earth's scenery."

Kimberly laughed, and kept her eyes strictly on Trini. "I guess that means I'm in too." She said simply, looking around the room, her eyes catching on Tommy.

Tommy sighed, realizing he was the last one to answer, discontented to find everyone was now staring at him. "Of course I'm in!" he nearly snapped, his mind torn. _There's something they're not telling me,_ he thought nervously. _There's something bigger than reinstating our powers. There's something the prophecy says that they are afraid to tell me._

"Then it's settled!" Trini said, faking happiness and moving towards the door. "We leave tomorrow."

"Where exactly are we going?" Kimberly called at Trini's quickly retreating form.

Trini gave a small pirouette and the doorway, and shot Kimberly an ironic smile. "Back to the beginning." She said simply. "Angel Grove, here we come!"

* * *

"You said two hours," Kira said, glaring at Tommy's reflection in the jeep's rear view mirror. "It's been at least five."

"It's been an hour and a half." He shot back, giving her a haughty look. "Stop being overdramatic."

"I'm sorry." Kira said rather unapologetically. "I might be in a better mood if someone hadn't forced me to sit in the bitch seat—"

"You're the smallest!" Conner protested. "You fit better in the middle than me or Trent would—"

"Well, if _someone_ had taken the hint and rode with Trini or Jason or someone else—"

Trent sighed. "Kira, how many times do I have to say it? How many? If I could take it back I would. I don't know what I was thinking, I was being a dumb ass—"

"Save your apologies. I'm sick of listening to—"

"Listening? You call this listening? No, you've done nothing but send death looks my way and thwart my every attempt at having a meaningful conversation. I get it! You're pissed—"

Tommy rolled his eyes, feeling an uncomfortable familiarity with the conversation. "Could you two please spare us all the lover's spat?"

Kira gave him a withering glare. "Did _you_ really just say that to _me_."

"I think I just saw a deer," Conner said, rather unhelpfully.

"Was that what it was?" Darcy called back from the front seat. "It looked more like a horse to me."

"What would a horse be doing out near a highway?"

"I imagine the same thing as a deer."

"Impossible," Conner said with an assurance that reeked of arrogance. "Deer grazes—"

"And what do horses do?" Darcy asked, somewhat exasperated. "Eat spaghetti with a fork and spoon?"

Conner immediately shut up and began an indistinct pout. Kira, in the meantime, had squeezed as far away from Trent as possible, and as a consequence, was very nearly sitting on Conner's lap.

"It's just not fair!" Kira exploded. "My life was finally working itself out. I was finally getting noticed for my music. I was finally making money on my own. And the second my life is starting to feel normal; It gets snatched up from under me." Her voice was filled with rage now. "You didn't have to pick me. You didn't have to bring me back into this world, Dr. Oliver!"

"Kira…" Tommy began slowly, somewhat alarmed by this temper tantrum. "Please listen—"

"No, you don't get it!" her voice was frantic now. "I have no choice but to listen to you. I'm stuck in this goddamn car with you. Much like I don't have a choice to go to Angel Grove. Much like I don't have a choice to perform this ritual and become a Ranger again. Do you have any idea how much that sucks?"

"Kira!" Tommy said strongly, meeting Kira's mutinous eyes in the rear view mirror. . "I know you hate me right now. I know you feel betrayed, that we've tricked you, and that all of this is unfair. I want you to know you have every right to feel this way."

He paused, putting his eyes back on the long road ahead of him and trying to decide what to say next.

"I know you hate the word 'destiny' and that I tend to overuse it. But here's the thing. I know what it's like to, at fifteen, have somebody come in and sweep you away and tell you about how all these huge, scary things are happening in the world and that you're the only thing that can stop them. You're just kids. But I was a kid once, and I helped save the world—not because I had to, but because I wanted to. So this is what it comes down to: I can sit here and tell you all day long the importance of your destiny. But that's not enough. You have to want to save the world. You have to understand that there are some things worth fighting for—your families, your friends, your classmates. And sometimes, to keep them safe, we have to sacrifice the things we love most." A small shiver ran up Tommy's spine.

Tears were forming in Kira's eyes, her arms crossed and rigid with tension. "I know." She said softly. "It's just…it's hard to accept."

"I promise you, in the end—"

"What?" Trent spoke up suddenly. "What can you promise us about the end? We don't know how this thing is going to end. We don't know if we can even survive it." There was anger in his voice. "If you know how this is going to work out, then maybe you can fill us in. So what can we expect? What do we think Ted's going to do?"

"If my experience has taught me anything," Tommy said, trying to keeping a steady stream of assurance in his voice. "He'll send Wraithians, send other monsters, then use whatever powers he has to cause the monsters to grow thirty times their normal size. But that's assuming he sticks to bad guy protocol."

"At least it's sounds familiar," Conner said sarcastically, shaking his head.

Darcy was quiet. "He's got a fighting style literally older than time itself. He's not going to go for the show. The creatures been imprisoned in the earth's core for a million years, and probably been planning the earth's demise for just as long. He's not going to go for anything flashy, or anything quick. It's going to be subtle and it's going to be unknown."

"So that's your great plan to deal with this master evil?" Conner's anger had increased by tenfold. "We just sit around and we wait? Wait for him, one of the most powerful evil beings we've ever witnessed or will more than likely ever witness to make his move."

"A move," Trent finished for him. "That he has, more than likely, been calculating for the better part of a million years?"

"You guys!" Tommy's patience was wearing thin. This was not the kind of encouragement he needed. "You aren't fighting a God! Ted has been imprisoned before. We need to figure out a way to either contain him or destroy him. This isn't impossible!"

"Notice you used the word imprisoned. As in, not destroyed."

"Which could take years!"

"What other choice do we have?"

Kira sighed, her eyes fixed on the trees that went blurring past them. "Do you really think we're going to survive this, Tommy?"

At the sound of his name, Tommy was caught entirely off guard. He couldn't correct them anymore, couldn't be called Dr. Oliver. He was their equal now.

"I promise you all," he said, a protective surge swelling in his heart. "Nothing is going to happen to any of you."

Turning his mind back to the road, an assured silence surrounded the car's passengers.

"That's all I needed to hear." Trent said, softly.

* * *

"Downtown Tokyo was devastated today in what appears to be the first of a series of attacks." The newscasters did not even bother disgusting the fear in his voice. "These attacks come the day after the President announced the existence of extraterrestrial beings, as well as putting forth the implication that a select group of Earth's leaders will enter into an alliance with them. It has not been confirmed, but is rather assumed by this station, that this alliance may be the source of disgruntlement with other extraterrestrial races, and as a consequence, expect to see more attacks." He paused, somewhat dramatically. "The total death toll is expected to be announced this afternoon, with projections already in the thousands."

"Can you please drive faster?" Kimberly asked Zach in a small voice. "We need to get this show on the road."

"I'm driving as fast as I can," Zach said somberly, uncharacteristically serious. "We had to wait until nightfall. There's spies out everywhere, and they want our blood."

"We're only about thirty minutes out," Trini said, turning around from her coveted front seat. "The chamber is located where the Command Center used to be."

"There's some beautiful irony for you."

"It's going to be okay, Kim." Zach said, softly. "We can do this. We're ready."

"I know," Kimberly said, staring ahead of them at Tommy's jeep. "I just really wish I knew what was coming next."

She and Tommy were, for all intents and purposes, "fine". But what did that word really mean, anyway? The closer they got, the more she missed him, and wondered where they might have been if she hadn't have ruined everything. And here they were, going back to the beginning, going back to the place it all began.

_Fix the world first._ She reminded herself sternly. _Fixed the world first and then you can fix it with Tommy. Where are your priorities? _

* * *

"I can't believe it," Tommy said, looking up at the Command Center with amazment. "All this time, it's still here."

"Zordon built this place to last!" Trini said, with poorly contained pride. "He knew exactly what was going to happen. He knew we'd need it again."

Before them, the remnants of the Command Center arose from the pale sands of the desert, dusted blue with the nightfall. The moonlight hit the remaining walls, a lighthouse in the midst of a rough sea.

"I never thought in a million years we'd end up back here." Kimberly said softly, her eyes distant.

"In the end," Zach said. "You always end up back at the beginning."

"Maybe." Kimberly said softly.

"Get inside, quick!" Jason said. "We need to start this ritual. The world needs us."

Tommy was amazed to see how the desert had aged the abandoned Command Center. It had been stripped of all the technology that had once made it such a place of intrigue. Instead, the walls had been stripped away, leaving nothing but old stone walls with similar symbols.

"Everyone take their stones." Trini instructed, smoothing out the translated version of the prophecy against her leg. "Place them on the ground in front of you. Now form circles: Older rangers form a circle on the outside, New Rangers on the inside. We have to connect our energies…therefore, everyone hold hands."

A warm familiarity enveloped Tommy. It was more than coming home to Angel Grove, coming back to the Command Center. He was coming home.

_There is my body,_ Tommy thought to himself, linking hands with Trini and Kimberly and closing his eyes_. There is my mind, and there is my soul. And I am one of many. Many who are like me, who I trust with my life. There is only us, those who live within the power of the good, letting the power guide their life force._

Next to him, he felt Kimberly take a deep breath, letting the air calm her and bring peace to her soul. She, too, could feel the others breathing with them, their heart beats aligning to beat at the same rhythm.

_There is only us._

There was a surge of power, and they could feel their power within their veins.  
The ancient power, the power that had coursed through their blood, helping them battle their enemies over the years.

And then, they were connected.

They could feel the energy snaking through their blood, running through all of them at once. Tommy did not open his eyes simply because he did not have to: he could feel their arms and hands being encompassed by snaking bolts of pink, green, yellow, black, blue and red energy.

There was no bad history between them. Everything they had been through, all the drama, had melted away. Between them was their friendship, their trust, the love they shared.

The power this brought them made them stronger, giving them the supernatural strength they had once enjoyed.

They weren't able to morph, but they were still Rangers.

The power surged through them, and Tommy felt himself giggling along with the rest of them. This feeling…it was beautiful. It coursed through his bloods, guiding his heart, giving his soul purpose. He could feel the powers returning to him, his brain tapping into a higher power, knowledge of enemies and of zords, of weapons he now possessed. Adrenalin surged, and he laughed joyously as his mind, body, and soul united into one and the ancient powers were returned to him.

Suddenly, out of no where, a morpher appeared in front of him, a polished, unrecognizable symbol embellished within its golden façade.

Slowly releasing Kimberly and Trini's hands, he reached out to touch it, a jolt going through him. Yes. This was his. He was whole once again.

The cyclone of energy disappeared as quickly as it had begun, leaving them breathless.

"That was….amazing," Kira said, her eyes wide. "I've never felt like that in my whole life. The energy—I cannot believe it!"

Kimberly was smiling too, caressing her new morpher.

_We're really back_, she thought wistfully. _All this work. Ten years gone by. And here we are again, in the Command Center. _

"I think it's about time we get back to saving the world," Kimberly said, feeling the return of a spunk she had not possessed since she left Angel Grove behind.

"Well?" Tommy said, his tone full of laughter, looking towards Jason. "Are you going to call or, or do you want me to?"

Jason grinned. "Over my dead body."

Kimberly's body tensed with joy as it assumed the same position it had once done so long ago. Squeezing her new morpher, she waited for the familiar words, her heart fluttering with giddy joy.

Jason responded accordingly, his voice full of serious pride. "Alright then," he said, assuming a similar stance. He took his words pronouncing the last part of his sentence, adjusting his tone to an appropriate mixture of fierceness and strength, pelting out the sentence they so longed to hear, hearing it powerfully reverberate the wall of the old Command Center.

"_It's morphing time!_"


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Breaking Point**

And then, she was transformed. The world melted away, and all that was left was Kimberly and a beautifully unique world that held her up, floating like a goddess in a sea of pink. Lightning bolts coursed through the air, causing the hair on Kimberly's arms to rise in anticipation.

"Pink Ranger Power!" she heard herself yell, as her suit formed around her, bodice first, then outer shell. Memories, it was all coming back to her: fighting techniques, strength, kept dormant for so long, bubbling to the surface, popping with excitement. Another flash: the helmet appeared securely on her head. The transformation was complete.

She looked around, her vision sharpened by the helmet. Her friends were, once again, by her side, along with six newly morphed apprentices.

"I can't believe it!" Trini said, removing her helmet. "We're really back! It really worked!"

"You're surprised?" Zach said, the smile evident in his voice.

"You all look fantastic!" Kat said, walking up next to Jason. "It's like nothing's changed."

_Only everything has_, Kimberly thought, a somber interruption to her otherwise euphoric. Were they all prepared to go back?

Jason gave Kat a side grin and turned towards Billy, who had removed his helmet as well. "We're going to need to get to Tokyo pretty damn quick. Any suggestions?"

Billy smiled in return and pulled out a small keypad from the side of his glove. "I think these new Zords should be more than sufficient."

A thunderous roar rang out, and they all flew to the doorway, hairs rising with the vision soaring across the desert.

"They're beautiful," Darcy managed to gasp out. "Are they really ours?"

"That is so much better than Father's BMW," gasped Dorian.

"You are the only human being I know that would name drop right now!" Kira whispered incredulously under her breath.

"No time for bickering!" Jason said, his voice assuming the same qualities it had when he had led the pack as a tenth grader. "We've got a city to save!"

"Let's do it!" Trini roared joyously, tossing her long hair back in a wild laugh. "Man, this feels great!"

Kimberly held her breath as her Zord approached, a gorgeous pink bird, twisting and turning. Smiling at a nervous Darcy, she quickly replaced her helmet and grabbed Darcy's hand.

"Get ready," she said. "For the ride of your life."

And, taking a deep breath, she jumped, and soared towards the clouds, feeling the force carry her to her rightful position in the cockpit.

"This is insane!" Darcy called, sitting next to her, surrounded by all types of controls and monitors. "I know how to work all of them. How is it possible I know all of this?"

"The powers work in mysterious ways," Kimberly said, flipping on the switch to bring her Zord into travel mode. "I might suggest buckling your seat belt, however. We have a rather speedy journey ahead of us."

Darcy dutifully snapped her seatbelt into place as Jason's voice rang over the intercom. "I think everyone knows what to do!" he said, rather gruffly. "Program the coordinates in." Then, in an uncharacteristically immature tone, he added: "Last one to Tokyo is a rotton egg!"

"Very nice, Jason." Zach's voice came back now, just as youthful. "Explain to me how it is you keep girlfriends with that astounding level of maturity?"

Kimberly promptly hit her intercom button. "He doesn't."

"Hey!"

Zach's reply was instantaneous. "Kat doesn't seem to mind."

"_Hey!_" Jason's voice was significantly angrier. "Leave it alone. You're the one who wants to bang Trin—"

"You are all unbelievable!" Trini's voice was quick to cut in, and Kimberly laughed in spite of herself. No, this was different than before, but by God, it was a lot better. "We have to get to Tokyo. We have to get to Tokyo _now_. Program your coordinates before I hijack your Zord and do it for you. And Jason, if you make a stupid comment about me jumping into a certain someone's Zord, my Bear Zord is going to rip your Lion Zord to pieces. Got it?"

"Understood. Programming coordinates now."

"Excellent!"

Kimberly laughed and shut off the intercom, punching buttons rapidly. "Prepare for full speed." She replied automatically, noting rather casually that Darcy began pressing buttons as rapidly as she was. "And hang on," she added. "Because this is the fun part."

Suddenly, Kimberly's stomach lurched back, and she let out a yelp of joy. The adrenalin was kicking in, better than any roller coaster she had ever been on. The beautiful, gently sloping landscape of the desert disappeared, and in its place was indecipherable shapes and sizes, zooming past them as they orbited the globe at an insanely high speed.

"Woohoo!" She heard Darcy yell from the back, and she allowed herself one more smile before touching down on Tokyo.

"You ready for your first major battle?" Kimberly casually tossed the question over her shoulder, back at a serenely calm Darcy.

"Better now than never!" she said, masking all fear in her voice.

"That's my girl. Time to disembark!" and with the quick touch of a button, she was in the middle of downtown Tokyo, shoulder to shoulder with the other Rangers, facing the inherent ugliness that was Ghidor.

"You've finally bothered to ssssshow up?" he hissed at them, rubbing his hands together maniacally. "How I've longed to meet you all. Thissss should be very interessssting."

"Has anyone ever told you that you take an insanely long time to talk?" Jason shouted at him, his hand close to the saber that was at his belt.

"Then I shall ssssstop talking!" And with a flick of his hand, a small army of Wrathians appeared behind him.

"Divide and conquer," she heard Tommy whisper, behind her. "Everyone make sure to watch out for the younger Rangers. These guys are strong, but they're not impossible to beat."

Kimberly was immediately reassured by Tommy's presence, remembering back a mere week and a half ago, when they were forced to take on the Wrathians together. They had won, then, without their powers and without being able to work together. Things would be different then.

The Wrathians approached quickly, steadily walking. The fight had begun.

Acting on pure instinct, Kimberly threw herself forward, closely followed by Tommy, building up speed with back handsprings then delivering a powerful kick straight to the stomach of one of the heftier looking Wrathians. He stumbled backwards, then, in a rather dizzy attempt to regain his ground, through a lazy punch her way. She easily blocked it, then punched him in the stomach.

"Heads up!" Tommy called behind her, and she ducked, as Tommy sent a Wrathian flying over her head. This action resulted in much success, grounding two other Wrathians and causing another to disappear into thin air.

"Nicely done," Kimberly said, drop kicking a Wrathian who was quickly approaching Tommy.

She could hear the grin in his voice. "What can I say. I'm a little bit of a badass."

Laughing, she returned to the fight.

* * *

"Which one, Massssster?" hissed a rather small Wrathian, directly to the left of Ghidor.

He let his beady eyes wander over the crowd, rather unpleasantly noting his henchmen were not sufficiently holding their ground. Finally, he extended a long, scaly claw.

"That one," he breathed. "That isssss the one we need. Visit her dreamssssss. She will heed the call."

And with that, Ghidor turned and disappeared.

* * *

"I kicked _so_ much ass!" Dorian exclaimed, for what had to be the millionth time.

"You and everyone else." Conner said lazily. "Although did you see my creative use of the street sign—"

"Creative? You mean lucky."

"Just because I saved you, Kira, doesn't mean you need to get all upset."

"Saved me? I distinctly remembered it the other—"

"Weren't the Zords cool, though?" Darcy interjected.

Kimberly gave a small smile, half listening from the doorway of the kitchen, where she was trying to avoid partaking in a completely different discussion.

"It's been quiet for a couple of days. Just because we won one battle doesn't mean we are out of the danger zone." Jason was seated next to Kat at the table, an inexplicable stressed look on his face.

"I think we need to take a couple of days off. Just, hang out here." Trini said, casting a nervous glance in Kimberly's direction. "I mean, give it a couple of days to blow over. Ghidor can't plan anything too—"

"So you expect us to just sit here?" Kimberly interjected, rage mounting. She had tried to stay out of it, tried to play by their rules. "I'm sorry, you're holding us prisoner in your parent's home! I'm getting stir crazy."

"Just one more day—please, Kim. That's all I'm asking. Just let three days pass."

"Why? So Ghidor can have another day to plot, to build up an army? We need to go after him _now._"

Trini shot a desperate look to Zach, who gave her a dark look in return.

"Look, Kimberly!" Jason snapped. "I know you can handle one more day here. That's all we're asking. We just want to lay low, see how Ghidor reacts."

"You're all being ridiculous!" Kimberly snapped. She turned to Tommy in appeal. "You can't agree with them—"

Tommy was sending furtive looks towards Jason, a rather confused expression on his face. "You know something." He said suspiciously, looking towards Jason. "What aren't you telling us?"

"Stop the damn suspicion, already!" Jason roared, slamming his fists down on the table, causing Kat to jump. "I'm just telling you what I want—"

"Stop it!" Kimberly hissed, rubbing her temples. "I'm not dealing with this right now. I have a huge headache. I'm going to sleep. Good night!" She brushed past Tommy, who was still glaring at Jason.

"Don't give me a reason not to trust you," He said finally, turning from the doorway and leaving a room full of guilty expressions.

"I hope and pray that's not the case." Trini whispered.

"Three days," whispered Jason ominously. "We've already held her two. We're almost there. We can't give up now."

_

* * *

They were hurting. All of them. Her friends, her family. All of them were dying, hurting, dying. Oh my God, wouldn't someone help us? Where are the Rangers?_

_Their cries, she would never forget their cries. All the places she loved, the people she once knew. They were hurting. Ghidor was attacking Angel Grove, he was attacking it now. _

_No, stay put. Stay put, stay exactly where you—I'll come to you. I'll come to the Beach. Oh, all the children…just don't hurt them! _

_No! Don't scream! I'll help you, I'll help you, I'll—_

And in a flash, she was awake.

_They need my help_. She thought, frantic with worry. She was the only one that could help them—that she was sure of. The others would stop her from going, and that would not do.

She climbed out of bed and dressed hastily, taking extra caution to make sure her morpher was securely in place. She crept stealthily, determined not to wake anyone.

_They're calling _me.Kimberly thought, her head pounding. _They need my help!_

The door to Trini's spare bedroom creaked slightly, and she hurried down the hall, her heart seizing in her chest when she made rather rough contact with a shadowy figure.

"Kimberly?" the voice gasped, equally as shaken.

"Tommy? What are you doing up?"

"I heard you screaming, I was going to check on you. Are you okay?"

"Never mind. Just go back to sleep, there's something I need to do!" on impulse, she secured her morpher. Tommy noticed this as well.

"Where do you think you're going?" he hissed, anger in his voice. Trini wants us to stay—"

"People need my help, Tommy! I can hear them, they're hurting. I have to go!"

"You can't just leave!" Tommy said, somewhat exasperated. "What about the others? They need to know where you're going."

"Let them sleep!" Kimberly said quickly. "I need to do this, and they'll never let me get out of the house. They'll stop me, you know they will. I have to go!"

"You're out of your mind!" His voice was not gentle. "I'm not going to let you go by yourself. You'll get yourself killed. _We have to wake up the others_!"

"Tommy, I'm going. You can't stop me. He's close to coming back. I can feel it! I know I can stop it. I know I can do it!"

Tommy looked at her, and for an instant, nothing had changed. They were sixteen again, and she had that irresistible, stubborn look on her face. He had no doubt, then, that she was going to win the fight. He, of course, was going to follow her. He would have followed her to the ends of the earth, if she would have let him.

"Fine." He whispered. "We don't have to tell the others. But I'm going with you—and no, you can't change my mind."

She sighed impatiently. "Fine! We're leaving now!"

He scarcely had time to find his shoes before she pulled him out the door.

* * *

"They were around here somewhere!" Kimberly was busy scanning the shoreline, ignoring the memories of the last time she and Tommy had walked along the shore. The moon was shining over the water, creating a beautiful mirage. They had often walked down here together, made out in the shack not too far away. She wouldn't get home until hours after her curfew.

It had been glorious.

"Just because you had a dream doesn't mean that it is necessarily coming true," Tommy reminded her as gently as he could, shaking her from her reverie. She knew instinctively that he didn't feel right being out in the open night like this, exposed.

"I _promise_ you, they're here!" her voice was strained. "I _saw _them. I know, I did."

"Kim, calm down. It might just be a dream—"

Kimberly stopped dead in her tracks. "You just called me Kim." She said, her current plight of hysteria temporarily disbanded. "You haven't called me Kim in years!"

He looked at her gently. "Yeah. I guess I haven't."

She stared at him, smiling gently. "I've missed it." She replied honestly.

He looked down at her. "Me too."

Their moment was quickly interrupted. "As touching of a moment asssss thisss issss, I musssst interrupt."

"I knew you'd show up sooner or later!" Kimberly snapped, the fierceness returning to her voice. "You didn't think I'd let you hurt innocent people, would I?"

"You sssspeak too sssssoon." Ghidor spread his lips back to reveal small, pointed teeth. "Your lives are at stake." And with that, he stepped aside, revealing upwards of twenty Wrathians, each dressed in spiked armor.

Kimberly recoiled in horror. "That's not good!"

"No. No that's not good at all."

An overwhelming melancholy filled Kimberly's brown eyes. She looked at him for a second, then whispered: "I'm so sorry, Tommy."

Tommy's mind was elsewhere. "There has to be at least twenty of them," he muttered to himself. "We barely got out alive with three. But at least, this time, we can morph."

Kimberly gulped, and nodded, her eyes distant but decisive.

"Wait," she said, as Tommy stepped forward, jetting her arm out to catch his, feeling the surge of electricity that went along with being close to him

Tommy looked at her, curious, his eyes searching.

"In case we don't get out of this alive," Kimberly muttered softly, turning towards Tommy with a hard expression on her face. "There's something you need to know."

His throat tightened, and he looked at her, studying her face. "What?" he barely managed.

She kept her gaze steadily ahead. "I never stopped loving you." Her voice was strong. "Always have. Always will. I just really need you to know that." With that, she stepped forward towards her impending doom, while Tommy was left shell shocked in her wake, his jaw agape.

_Did that just happen_? He was having extreme difficulty processing that fact. _It can't be true. We couldn't have wasted so much time. _

His mind snapped back to reality as the Wrathians came closer and closer to them, circling them.

"It's morphing time!" Kimberly called, before he had the opportunity to utter another syllable. He grasped for his morpher, his hands shaking, looking for a voice to yell the command he so desperately longed to say.

_She loves me? _He thought as the change overtook him. _She tells me now?_

He was morphed now, standing before an army. Kimberly, wasting no time, had already lunged forward. Tommy, know thoroughly distracted, was seized with a new emotion. Adrenalin gripped his body and mind, held him hostage, his anger providing him a nice respite from the conference of mixed emotions that was taking place inside his heart.

Oh, he was going to kick some ass. Then he and Kimberly were going to have it out. That was for damn sure.

"There's too many of them!" Kimberly cried from somewhere in front of him. "The armor—ow!"

A moment of protectiveness seized Tommy, and he used his saber to floor the culpable Wrathian, pulling her up while managing to knock out an oncoming Wrathian. He pulled his hand back to release another tight punch, but was quickly knocked to the ground by another Wrathian.

"Stop it!" Kimberly was being held securely by two Wrathians now, squirming in attempts to get free.

"I've had enough of your gamessss," Ghidor hissed, pulling back his arms and realeasing a large ball of energy. The wind exited Tommy's lungs with a hiss, and he felt his powers diminish, until he was laying in front of Ghidor, completely unmorphed. Kimberly, who had been dealt the worst of the blow, was also unmorphed and barely awake.

"Bring her to me—" Ghidor hissed, raising his arms to the sky. "Sssso we can completely the ceremony." Kimberly weakly fumbled upon hearing those words, and Tommy shook with violence.

_Over my dead body_, he vowed, lurching forward. His attempt at rescue was thwarted; a Wrathian behind him grabbed him and held him, the knife-like armor cutting into his back.

"Tommy!" Kimberly cried weakly, tears in her eyes. "Leave him alone—"

"Ssssssssh, little girl," Ghidor hissed, running his clawed finger down the side of her face gently. "I do not wisssssh to hurt you."

"Stop it," she whispered, her head lurching forward, as if it was too heavy to be supported by her neck.

"Never," Ghidor whispered again, raising his hands to the sky, suddenly screaming in an unknown language.

_Get to Kimberly._ Tommy's mind was no longer capable of producing fight strategies. _Kill Ghidor. Get to Kimberly. Kill Ghidor. _

"Before you, oh Great One, is the Vesssssel, the very one you have requessssted. Arissse, oh Great One. Fulfill the prophecy we have worked so hard to fulfill!"

A large, black cloud eclipsed the gorgeous moon, leaving them shrouded in blackness. From the sky, a large, red mist was descending.

"Come, Great One! Fulfill your dessssiresss. Let ussss take back your legacccy!"

The red mist descended slowly around Kimberly's head. Tommy watched with bated breath as it encircled her head, gently swirling up her nostrils. He tried to cry out with every breath in his body, but no words would come.

"Yesssss!" Ghidor cried happily. "Yessss! Breathe in! Breathe in!!"

Tommy looked at her, helpless, shaking. She loved him. She actually loved him. And now, knowing that, he was going to watch her die.

_Not going to happen._ He thought, his eyes narrowing and his muscles instinctively flexing. _Never going to happen. _

And with a roar, he ran forward at full tilt, knocking Kimberly out of the unsuspecting arms of the Wrathian. Adrenalin coursed through his body, as he hastily scooped up Kimberly and ran towards the water, diving in to the now surging surf.

_I can swim faster than they can. Even with Kimberly being incapacitated. _

He secured his hand around her waist, and swam like his life depended on it, noting rather victoriously that the Wrathians were not following. Next to him, Kimberly was violently coughing, movement returning to her tiny body.

"Hang in there," he said through gritted teeth.

* * *

"Masssster, they are essscaping!" the Wrathian snarled, watching as the Chosen One escaped.

"Let them go." Ghidor was calm. "At sunrisssse, the change will be complete. We will chase them no more."

* * *

Tommy made it to the beach, Kimberly regaining enough strength to pull her self ashore.

"Jesus, what was that?" she hissed, turning over and regaining a steady breathing pattern. Tommy struggled to find breath, struggled to quell the rage that was building up once again, brought on by the adrenalin. He was sick of having her just to lose her.

"How dare you!" he bellowed, catching her off guard.

"Excuse me?" she hissed, pulling herself up. "Do you have a problem?"

"What were you thinking?" he roared at her, shaking her as hard as he could without hurting her. "You tell me you love me than you try and get yourself killed? Jesus, Kimberly!"

"What did you expect me to do!" she roared back, shaking from the cold of the water. "I've had to live with that fact for seven years. _Seven fucking years,_ Tommy! If I thought I could stop I would have married fucking Ian, and had a bunch of fucking babies. But _no!_ Everywhere I go, everything I do, you're always there and I'm sick of it!"

"_You_ were the one who ended it." Tommy was oblivious to the cold, now. The fear of losing her again, the bitterness at having been kept from her all these years melded together into a self righteous anger that blazed through him. "_You_ were the one who found someone else, who told me you didn't love me anymore. Life hasn't been good for me since you _left_ Kimberly. You _left_ and you moved on, and you made it perfectly clear I wasn't a part of that!"

"I was sixteen!" she screamed, her voice straining. "_Six-fucking-teen._ In a matter of two weeks I was dying, losing my powers, losing my dreams, losing _everything else_ I thought I would have forever—"

"Like me?" his eyes were scalding. "Oh wait, never mind, clearly I wasn't a part of this 'forever' you were talking about—"

"How long do you think you would have lasted, Tommy?" her jaw was clenched. "How long! After that night, everything changed!" her voice cracked now, her eyes strained. "You _know_ it changed. We were different, and it was dangerous. You really think you could have gone from that kind of passion to being a fucking pen pal? Kat wanted you from the moment she set eyes on you. It was just a matter of—"

"Do _not_ make me into the bad guy, Kimberly. I would have waited—"

"Oh, you'd like to think that, wouldn't _you?_ Let's face it, Tommy. I saw your eyes after you thought I was going to die. I knew what you were capable of. It was _too_ much pressure—"

"So I loved you too much? Was that it?"

"I would have _destroyed_ you!" tears were spilling down Kimberly's cheeks. "Don't you understand? We were in over our heads, and it was just a matter of time before the water got too high. It was too much for me to handle, Tommy. Too fucking much. And if I realized how miserable my life was going to be, or how much you were going to hate me, or how much I was going to miss you, I would have chose differently. I was a _fool_, Tommy. A _fucking _fool! But that's it. I made my choice, and I'll live with it, and I'll die with it. I just needed you to know that."

"Why?" his voice had dropped now, his face inches away from hers. "Why?" he hissed. "So I could watch you die knowing how much time we've wasted? So I could hate you all the more for fucking up my life as much as you've fucked up yours? Why, Kimberly? You tell me you left me because life got complicated? Because life got darker and we had to face some heavy shit? Because you knew that I was willing to kill for you, to die for you? Did you think you were somehow going to protect me from myself?"

"I did a hell of a job, didn't I?" The sarcasm in her voice was so thick, every syllable threatened to choke her. "Look at you now. The great Tommy Oliver. You're a slave to training and your job—"

"I had a plan!" his throat was getting tighter and tighter. "A plan that revolved around you. Then you left. I sought other options. I could be married, too. Kat loved me enough to pretend she was the only one. I could have children, too. But that wouldn't make you go away."

Tears gently streamed from Kimberly's eyes, lost on her drenched skin. "What can?" she asked gently, her breath catching as she tried to prevent herself from falling to the ground in sobs. "Tell me what you want me to do, Tommy. Tell me what would make you happy. I can't change the past…God knows I would if I could. Just tell me what you want from me, tell me how I can stop you from hating me. We keep doing this dance, and it just keeps pulling us back in—The way you look at me, it just, it breaks me into pieces all over again. I'm tired of being miserable, tired of loving you and knowing nothing will ever come of it. _What do you want me to do?_"

Tommy stared at her, his heart threatening to lurch out of his chest.

"Tell me how to stop loving you," he whispered, his throat tightening. "Tell me how to make this go away. I've fucking tried for seven years and nothings changed."

"What?" Kimberly gasped, tears freezing in shock. "That's impossible—"

"I've tried everything!" he grabbed her now. "I've dated other people, I've tried to pretend everything's okay. But it's not." He looked in her eyes, and felt a churning within his soul. "And without you, it never will be."

With that, he brought his lips down on hers. She responded instantly, her lips crushed against his, her mind fading away and her soul taking over, relief offered in the form of a lost sob that died in her throat as Tommy pulled her closer.

His fingers found a patch of uncovered skin on her lower back, and his fingers grazed it, experiencing a euphoric tingle of pleasure surge up his spine. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself as close to him as she possibly could.

_How did I ever live without this? How did I ever walk away?_

She deepend the kiss, euphoric at his hands through her hair, his lips on her neck. She had missed him, spent so long wanting him. And now, now they would have it.

His lips returned to hers, as he gripped the fabric of her shirt, bunched in his fist. He pulled back, searching her eyes for the last _yes_ he needed her to give.

Satisfied by her nonverbal reply, his lips returned back to hers, every cell in her body finding the correlating cell in his and heating up. They would never be apart. Never.

* * *

She awoke with a start, his arms still intertwined with hers.

_He looks so peaceful._ She thought wistfully, slowly smoothing his hair and fighting back the tears. _I shouldn't wake him. Not for this._

A sudden white hot flash of pain surged through her, and she stifled a groan.

_Not now_! She thought with horror. _Not after we just found each other. _Another flash of pain was her answer, and she doubled over, slipping out of his arms and onto the splintering wooden floor of the shack they had somehow found in the midst of all the heat and passion.

Shaking, she reached for her clothes, biting her lip as another flash of pain s urged through her.

_Why must it have to be like this? _She thought bitterly. _Why do I always have to be fate's bitch? Why couldn't my life be different, be peaceful? Why must I be torn from the man I love?_

Another flash of blinding pain, and her vision faltered.

_I won't wake him. I won't end our night like this. I can't!_

She bit her lip as the world descended into fog, casting one more glance at Tommy's sleeping form. She loved him, more than she could ever love anyone. She would love him until the day she died. She wished she could tell him that. She wished she could go back, to be his wife, to live the life she had only wanted to live with him. That was over now. It was always going to be over.

She saw his sleeping form, and with a tear, looked over the face, so peaceful now. She hadn't seen him that peaceful since the last time they had been together, the ends of his mouth curled up into a small smile.

God, she loved him so much. The fog that was surrounding her wouldn't change that. It couldn't.

With a final tear, she closed her eyes, and prayed for the day she would return to him.

* * *

Tommy awoke when morning penetrated the small window of their safe house. Memories from the night before flooded back to him with a venerating sigh of relief. She was his—had always been. The time they had wasted was of no consequence. They would start over now, together.

He rolled over, reaching for her, cold overtaking him at having her so far away. She would never be away from him again. He would make sure of that.

"Mmmm," he muttered contently, extending his arm.

Nothing.

The coldness grew. Eyes opened, blinded temporarily by the sunlight pouring forth from a small crack in the shack.

Dread overtook him. He was alone.

_She wouldn't have just left. Something has to be wrong. _He rose quickly, dressing at full speed, throwing open the door to stare out at the deserted beach. She was really, truly gone.

_Maybe she went back to Trini's, to let them know she's okay._ Tommy thought, disbelieving the words as they flashed through his mind. Not bothering to find his shoes, he raced down the beach, desperation coursing through his blood.

Stumbling down the beach, his heart stopped at seeing a small object half buried in the sand. Crawling over, he recoiled.

Her morpher. Kimberly had dropped her morpher.

_Please, no._ Tommy thought desperately, as he ran towards Trini's house.

He threw open the door, to find all of his friends sitting anxiously around the living room. Upon his entrance, they all jumped out of their seats.

"She's not here?" Tommy said, huffing. "Kimberly? Is she here?"

Trini paled. "You mean she's not with you?" she whispered, sitting down abruptly, turning towards Zach. "Oh no—this can't—do you know what this _means? _Oh my God…Oh my God! Tommy…where's Kimberly?"

"She—" Tommy did not know what to say. "She had a vision, and she went down to the beach. She ran into Ghidor, and we got into trouble. We hid for a little while, then we got separated—"

Jason's jaw was tight. "You let her go?"

Tommy did not like his tone. "I didn't _let_ her go anywhere. She just…disappeared."

Trini stared at Tommy helplessly, tears spilling out of her eyes. "Tell me Ghidor didn't call forth the master. Please, tell me!"

Dread filled Tommy. "But she was fine! I saw her after, she was completely fine. I knocked her over, I helped her escape—"

Trini fell to the floor, burying her hands in her head. Zach reached down and stroked her hair.

"What aren't you telling me?" Tommy snapped, fear completely disabling all higher functions. He was panicking and they wouldn't let him stop. "What's happening? What did Ghidor do to Kim?"

Billy had his head in his hands as well. "There was a different part of the prophecy, one that pertained to Kimberly being possessed by the Original Evil. It is safe to deduct that that prophecy has been fulfilled." He paused, looking towards Tommy with sad eyes. "The direness of the prophecy gives us significant reason to be concerned."

Tommy could not breathe. The walls were closing in. "Dire" and "Kimberly" should never be associated. _Never._

"Tell me how to fight it." He said, his voice tense. "Tell me what I need to do to kill it. Tell me how I can hurt this thing."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple, Tommy." Kat's voice was placating, but it did nothing but to irritate Tommy further.

"_You_ knew about this?" Tommy snapped. "You all knew. And you couldn't tell me?" He turned towards Billy, who looked like he expected Tommy to hit him. "Kimberly left her morpher. Why would she leave her morpher?"

"I'm afraid she wouldn't need it anymore," Trini whispered, raising her head.

Tommy looked around the room in horror, needing to sit down.

"You see," Zach said, his tone mournful. "We weren't completely forth coming when we told you about the Heir of Lythmore."

Sitting down sharply, Tommy forced himself to breathe.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Faithless**

He had to kill her.

Murder her--stick a knife through her heart. He was going to have to fight, conquer, and destroy the woman he loved. He envisioned her small frame falling to the ground, her mouth in a circle of surprise. He imagined watching those eyes, those gorgeous brown eyes slowly fade away; her skin slowly losing its vibrant color, her beautiful heart silenced forever, by his sword.

_By his sword._

He couldn't do it. He wouldn't. He wasn't capable, he knew it. He loved her too much to destroy her. She'd have to kill him first.

_And destroy the world? Kill hundreds of people?_

He promptly took another swallow from the bottle of Jack he had yet to set down, tears stinging in his eyes from the pain of the burn life had dealt him.

_Kill Kimberly?_

He shut his eyes and laid back on the bed, his nearly dead heart silently beating curses towards whatever powers that were. He had lived his life in solitude, in agony, for what? Two perfect moments with the woman he loved, had always loved, only to be her executioner?

_Kimberly's dead. Kimberly no longer exists. It's that evil monster that's taken over her body. You must remember that. _

He refused to believe it, refused to believe that he would never have her back. She loved him, he knew that now. It couldn't be as simple as that.

Her image flashed before him, bits and pieces of the night they had spent together, the way she felt in his arms, the feeling of certainty that lingered between them, the security. Skin on skin, lips on lips, the way she felt curled up next to him all night long—that was how life was supposed to have been. They sipped at happiness they should have gulped, for now they realized, it had always been in limitless supply. Now, he would forever thirst, remembering the satisfaction they once shared.

_And have my sword end it all. Forever alone. _

What was the point? Why would life be so cruel to him? He had played his part, been the warrior they had asked him to be. Why would they give him so much happiness, only to take it away hours later?

Gripping the bottle between his clenched fingers, he launched it across the room, surpised at the loud roar that came from his lips. His mind barely registered a dull thud of satisfaction as the glass shattered across the wall, launching the small quantity of remaining amber whisky across the wall.

_Fuck fate!_ He thought to himself, grabbing the lamp that was next to him and hurling it in a similar fashion. _Fuck duty! I've done what they've asked me too. I've saved the world more times than they can count. Well, fuck them. Fuck them all. I won't do it. I won't kill her._

He sat up, looking around madly, looking for something else to throw. His eyes landed on her morpher.

_She won't need it anymore._

He picked it up and prepared to hurl it, to distance himself as much as possible from the last remaining connection he had with her. Instead, he squeezed it, letting the small metal disk cut into his flesh, ceasing his circulation. His arm shook with pent up rage, desperate to release. And yet, his hand would not relinquish its grip.

Shaking, he buried his head in his pillow, praying for a relief to the anguish that filled him.

He had seen her evil before—Seen her beautiful brown eyes surrender to something that was darker and more powerful than he had ever known. He had watched her attack his friends, his current girlfriend, hurt the people who had always stood behind him.

And what had he done? What was his defense against the woman who had broken his heart, who was destroying his then-current girlfriend?

_Take off his helmet and try to reason with her._

And now, everyone looked at him with sorrow-filled eyes, as if he no longer had a choice. _Fuck them all. I have a choice. I'm not going to do it._

How much time had passed? A minute? Three days?

In a mere second, the door flew open, kicked by Jason, who was wearing an expression identical to Tommy's.

"Get out of here," Tommy hissed, turning his back towards him. "You fucking son of a bitch. You knew all along—you didn't tell me. _You didn't tell me!_"

"I'm not here to apologize." Jason said shortly. "It's pointless. It'll never make it okay. As far as I'm concerned, if you'd punch me in the fucking face, break all my teeth, we still wouldn't be even. But man, you have to understand—I thought I was saving you both. I'd give anything to take it back, but I can't. So fucking hit me if it will make you feel better. I won't hit you back, I swear. But I can't watch _two_ of my friends be destroyed." His tone wavered slightly.

Tommy looked down to his shaking hands, rubbing his thumb over the pink stone embedded in its core. "Would you be able to do it?" He asked finally. "Could you kill her? Could you stick a knife through her heart?"

"Tommy," Jason said, his voice wavering some more. "I know what you're going through. Kimberly's like a sister to me—"

"She's not like a sister to me." Tommy said, his voice stronger. "She's not like a friend, she's not even like a lover. It's so much deeper than any of you ever thought, ever understood." His voice shook again. "I've spent the last seven years of my life convincing myself she wasn't my soul mate, and the second I finally stop lying to myself, I find out it's not meant to be. I find out I have to _kill_ her. For everyone else, even you—it would be hard, and you would suffer, but you would console yourself with the knowledge that 'Kimberly would understand', or, that 'Kimberly would have wanted it this way'. Well, here's a fact of life for you: Kimberly would want me to save her. She would want me to fix it. She would want to put all of this behind us and go on living the life we both want." He released the morpher, staring at it sadly, watching it bounce against the black blanket on his bed. "This is something I can't recover from. This is something I can't live through."

Jason crossed his arms, looking at Tommy thoughtfully. "You and I…we used to be best friends once. We used to be like brothers—unconditional loyalty and trust. I violated that trust, but I will never violate that loyalty. And as your right hand man, I'm telling you—the world needs you. We need you to be at the conference tonight, the one with the intergalactic leaders. We need you to put your game face on. We're going to try everything we can to beat this thing, to get Kimberly back. But don't you dare stop fighting. That is the one thing Kimberly would want from you."

Tommy breathed deeply, pushing out all thoughts, acknowledging that some level of his brain realized Jason was right.

"We need you, Tommy. Kimberly needs you. We have to keep fighting." Jason was over him now, extending a hand, waiting to help him up.

Tommy cast one more look at the ceiling, regretfully noting that destroying the remnants of his whisky was perhaps a little bit of a poor decision on his part. Taking a deep breath, he half-heartedly accepted the hand, praying for strength to get through the day.

* * *

"I can't accept this," Kat said quietly, sliding the morpher across the table back at Jason. "We have to save Kimberly, not replace her—"

"If we're going to save Kimberly, we need all the help we can get!" Zach insisted, sliding the morpher back across the table. "We need the six. Besides, Darcy can't operate the Zord by herself!"

"I can't do it!" Kat insisted, appealing to Jason with her eyes. "I'll be a constant reminder of our friend, the one we lost. I can't live up to that—I just can't."

Jason grabbed her hand. "We're all dealing with a lot," he said quietly. "I know how you feel. I know this is overwhelming. But the world needs you. Please! Just, take the morpher."

"It's been so long—"

"You can do it. I know you can."

Sighing, she slowly reached down and picked up the morpher, a pulse of pink energy flashing across her skin, instantly filling with guilt at the sight of Tommy leaning in the doorway; eyes closed, mouth pinched.

"Next order of business," Billy said, struggling to keep a sense of purpose in his voice. "We need to decide the delegates that will attend the ceremony. We need to have two representatives. I will already be there in the form of a translator, as Zach will be there as a representative from the United States."

"Tommy has to be one of them," Trini said in a small voice, determined not to look at Tommy. "Jason should be the other—he is the leader, after all."

Tommy cast a look at Jason, who nodded in return. "That will be fine," he said, swallowing sharply.

"Then prepare to disembark in three hours. The meeting will take place on the Aquitarian ship. Our Zords will effectively enable us to arrive on time."

Turning silently, Tommy went back to his room to prepare himself for the trip.

* * *

"Could you please just say something?" Jason hissed to Tommy as they briskly strolled across the moonlit desert towards the massive space craft that loomed in front of their eyes.

"There's nothing to say." Tommy said shortly, his fists clenched with tension. They expected too much out of him, wanted too much from him. They wanted him to be happy? Too late. That ship had already fucking sailed. They deserved to feel his wrath.

"I'm sorry, Tommy." Zach hissed, a few paces in front of them. "You're not the only one whose lost—"

"I haven't _lost_ anybody," Tommy snapped. "I very much _had_ someone—had her only to be taken away by the misguided efforts of people who call themselves her friends!"

Zach turned his head away in shame.

"Look, bro," Jason said, lowering his voice further. "If you want to take a few swings at me or Zach, I understand. But right now, your planet needs you. Fifteen minutes of your time. That's all. Then sulk away."

The muscles in Tommy's throat were working, swallowing a lifetime's worth of bitter rancor. He said nothing, his eyes focused on the large metal plank that was now extending in front of him. From it, Billy Cranston disembarked.

"Welcome!" He said tentatively, nervously casting a glance at Tommy's somber visage.

"Cut the pleasantries," Zach sighed. "We need to get this show on the road."

"Every delegate is already seated. We are simply waiting for the Heir."

Tommy's anger bubbled to the surface. "_My name is Tommy._" He hissed. "Next person that calls me the 'Heir' gets a Zord stuck up their—"

"_Tommy!"_

"I might need to mention—" Billy cut in earnestly. "That certain members of certain alliances do not wish to be here. I must ask for an entreating of patience on your behalves."

"I'm not in a mood to place nice," Tommy said rather gruffly, muscles twitching. "I am in the mood to kick some ass." He pushed past Billy and continued up the plank towards the ship's entrance.

"It is imperative he does not anger anyone today—especially anyone from the Forvaxian Coalition. There is simply too much at stake—"

"What do you want me to do? Put a muzzle on him?" Jason snapped. "He's _mad_, Billy. Kimberly is gone. Don't you _understand _that?"

Billy's features softened. "Of course I understand the implication of Kimberly's absence. I am simply anxious for the survival of the future—"

Jason sighed, knowing he would not be satisfied by Billy's answer. Sure, saving the earth was great. Of course, he wanted to save innocent lives. But his friend was gone, and he quickly suspected he was close to losing Tommy as well. The world would have to wait.

"We need to catch up with him before he goes in and say something stupid." Zach's cell phone snapped shut. "The President is already inside. They gave us the go-ahead to enter."

"After you," Jason said, rubbing his eyes and reluctantly following Billy and Zach towards the entrance of the ship.

* * *

Jason was used to seeing aliens.

He had met many different ones during his lifetime—some ugly, some strangely attractive, some even too comical to be considered dangerous. However, as he quickly reflected, he could not recall seeing so many in one place.

"Gentleman," Billy said, extending his arm out to the entire left side of a very large, round table. "Might I introduce you to the twenty five delegates of the Forvaxian Coalition?" An assortment of aliens, all assorted colors, seemed to defer to the middle where a very large, prominent purple being sat proudly. "They are led by Vendoran of the planet Juxtow."

Jason gave a low bow, and elbowed Tommy to follow.

"And," Billy said, signaling to the right side of the table. "Might I introduce you to the twenty delegates of the Retheltic Coalition, led by my wife Cestria."

"Ah, yes. Wonderful to see you again!"

"Then, shall we get started?" The President of the United States sat at the other end of the gigantic circle, sitting with the most prominent world leaders on planet Earth.

Zach stood, addressing the table. "I think we all understand why we are here today. A very evil force threatens not just planet earth, but every single one of our planets, our homes. We are all familiar with the prophecies, we are all familiar with the workings of this immortally evil being. We must now decide what this means in terms of our planets cooperation with one another."

"You have brought the Heir of Lythmore, I suppose?" A very large, powerful voice rang out. Jason's eyes immediately flew to the purple alien Billy had identified as Vendoran, his eyes focused intently on the strange delicateness of her mouth.

"Affirmative," Billy said, signaling for Tommy to rise. He did so, but slowly, with a murderous look in his eyes.

"Well," Vendoran said slowly. "He certainly looks like he would meet the physical requirements. But is he an experienced fighter?"

Jason bit back a sarcastic laugh, and simply let Billy respond. "He has proven himself to be more than adequate."

"Except that you've got the wrong guy," Tommy said shortly, sitting back down. "I have no intention of destroying anything."

"Well," Vendoran said slowly, batting her lashes. "I suppose you won't have to, now will you? You'll invoke Lythmore. He'll do the job for you." Jason held his breath, trying to gauge his reaction.

He silently reached out and grabbed Tommy's arm, shaking his head vigorously. "Just sit down. Don't say anything else."

"I'm not invoking _anything_—"

"Let me guess!" Vendoran rose quickly, pacing around the leaders who stared at her with rapt attention. "You have a connection with the possessed—a connection that _no one—_" her mocking tone made Jason cringe with fear. "—no one could ever possibly understand, am I right?"

Tommy's fists clenched, but said nothing.

"If the Heir does not wish to participate, than we are done here, I am afraid," Cestria said sadly. "This is very disconcerting—"

"Oh, _silence_, Cestria!" Vendoran snapped. "Since when are prophecies something someone gets to pick or choose? He will fulfill the prophecy because that is what Lythmore has decreed. He lacks no choice in the matter."

"Oh, I beg to differ!" Tommy snapped, staring at Vendoran with outright rage.

"Oh, _do_ you?" Vendoran said, with a taunting smile. "Oh, then enlighten us! How is it you expect to defeat this evil without invoking Lythmore? How many universes will you see destroyed? Your own, precious friends dead at your hands? Every man has a price before he will destroy the thing he loves most. Lythmore knew this above all, and still, he marked you. It is your destiny."

"And how do you plan on helping us destroy him?" Jason snapped. "Isn't this what its about? There's an evil guy out there, someone who wants all our worlds destroyed, and all you can do is sit there and taunt the person that's supposed to be saving you? Shouldn't you be more concerned with the bastard who wants you dead in the first place?"

"_Him?" _Vendoran snapped. "You think the Original Evil was the work of a masculine force?"

"Meaning what, exactly?" Jason said, rather aggressively. This chick was pissing him off.

"It's so typical, of earthlings," Vendoran said, batting her impossibly long purple eyelashes. "You know nothing, yet refuse to see reason. You go by the basest of information, then run amuck with it. It's a wonder your planet has lasted as long as it has."

"If you wouldn't mind," Tommy said through gritted teeth. "I have had an extremely bad day. I would appreciate a lot less sarcasm from you. If you have information, we'd like to hear it. If not, give me something to blow up the bad guys with. I'm sick and tired of all this beaurocratic bullshit—"

"The power of which you speak, this Original Evil. It is not a masculine force. It was started by a feminine force, a beautiful female warrior named Lorvenia."

"You mean Ted's a woman?" Billy asked in an uncharacteristically blunt manner.

"Tedina, if you will," Zach whispered under his breath.

Jason shot him a death glare, noting silently that the feminine form of Ted was, in fact, Theodora. "I thought she wasn't a creature. I thought she was just some force."

"She became a force after the power consumed her, turned her completely evil. She is to be pitied. She did everything she did to protect her family and those that she loved. It consumed her, turned her into a monster. I do believe there's a charming little expression your planet uses to describe this kind of thing," she smiled, a significantly less taunting smile than she had previously displayed. "Oh yes: The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

The hairs on the back of Jason's neck rose. _Sing it, sister._ He thought, bitterness mounting up inside him.

"I am still trying to exactly assess what you're trying to tell us," Billy said, his eyebrows furrowed in being told he was wrong. "Lythmore—"

"You expect the poetry of Lythmore's archaic language to remain in tact after all these years? It's an extremely easy mistake, especially with the dialect you would be accustomed to. But this…Ted creature, as you call her, she was in fact a woman. A woman that Lythmore once loved more than life itself, but had no choice to betray when her father initiated what was to be the final battle. She was a lost soul, caught in the middle. She didn't mean to initiate the chaos she did, but as her powers grew, her self diminished. Lythmore had no choice but to destroy her." Vendoran sniffed. "It's rather typical, actually. All males are alike. They think anytime their lives are in danger, a man must be behind it. They refuse to even give her greatness credit."

"Her greatness?" Tommy snapped. "Besides the fact _she's_ currently possessing my girlfriend, _she_ trying to destroy the entire world, as well as a planet full of people. _She_ doesn't exactly rank high up on my list of greatness."

"Her accomplishments should not be forgotten. She sought to end all wars. As the power consumed her, she could not realize that this would be at the sacrifice of billions of beings."

"It does explain why she chose to possess Kimberly," Billy replied, thoughtfully. "She must have sensed Kimberly's feminine aura while she was under the possession of Malagore. I should have seen it before!"

"Enough of the mythology," Jason said, his face returning to a stern, businesslike expression. "We're getting attacked. Earth is in peril. We can fight all day long, but we _can't_ be in two places at once."

"On behalf of, we Retheltic Coalition offer you all assistance we can provide." Cestria bowed her head towards the panel in a gesture of respect.

"We are eternally grateful," Jason said, sending a low bow in return, attempting to catch Tommy's arm as he abruptly turned and fled the room. He was unsuccessful at this, and instead, cast an anxious look towards Zach.

"Earth will happily provide the Coalition with access to political forums, as previously requested." Zach turned expectantly towards Vendoran. "And the Forvaxian Coalition? What do they say?"

Vendoran sighed. "We recognize the importance of forming an alliance with all the major galaxies, and therefore, we agree to help in whatever way you request of us." She did not sound happy about this.

"Then this is truly a magnificent day in the history of the universe," the President said, smiling joyously.

Jason gave a reluctant smile, stood and bowed towards their intergalactic guests, and quickly exited. He needed

_

* * *

She was alive._

_Alive! And in a body, too. She had not made use of limbs since before her first demise, and had spent the last thousands of years drifting along in an quasi-existence that threatened to turn her into a handful of space matter. _

_But no longer. She was free—free of the past body, free of her past. She could only exist now in the form of the One, the One she had chosen, her Daughter. Yes, she was free._

_She opened her new eyes, inhaled a fresh breath of air, grinning with happiness. Yes. It was a wonderful thing—this air. She would love to see how they screamed when she poisoned it, love to watch their lungs choke, blood spilling forths from their mouths. Oh, how she dance about their graves, how she would enjoy her victory. He had destroyed her once, when she still loved him. This would soon cease to be._

_She gave a small flick of her hand in midair, and happily watched earth raise around her. Yes, she was powerful. More powerful than she had ever been before. Oh, how she would make them pay._

_With a jerk of her chin, doors flew open, and she stood in the middle of her lair, built by her specifications. _

"My liege!" Ghidor exclaimed, falling to his knees, signaling to the army of Wrathians that fell to their knees as one.

"Arise, servant." Her voice was cool, and she felt a tickle of pleasure at articulating a language. "We have work to do."

* * *

"I thought you could use a cup of coffee," Hayley said gently, sitting down beside a rather tense Billy who had spent the better part of the last three hours typing away at Tommy's computer. Tommy, Hayley noted, had quickly retreated to his room.

"I appreciate the gesture," Billy said, giving her a small smile before sighing into his chair again. "I am attempting to reread the prophesy regarding Kimberly, while cross referencing it with the "alphabet" of Lythmore's language. There is a specific number to designate capitalization within this language. This is very odd because it violates the numerical rules of the sentence structure. It concerns me."

"Which words are they?"

Billy hit a couple of buttons and words appeared on the screen:

_Journey_

_Outcome_

_Distance_

_Mirrors_

_Cause _

_Blood_

"Are you sure this was purposeful?" Hayley asked, somewhat confused. "Not all of the words seem to go together."

"It would seem so." Billy said, typing profusely on the computer. "The system Lythmore used would designate the important words, the words one must focus on, with the number twenty one at the beginning of the sequence. These words all fit this pattern. Here, I will show you." With that, he hit another button, the words on the screen disappeared and were replaced with a sequence of numbers:

21-9-8-11-21-12

21-16-7-13-3

21-15-17-1

21-22

21-5-18-9-4

21-11-19-12

Hayley stared at him with shock. "How did you ever figure all this out?"

Billy smiled rather wistfully. "Fortunately, somewhat exacted a code that helped us translate the prophecy into a language more conventionally readable. Here, I can show you."

Another stroke of a button, and then:

1: Highest Power—_Eil_

2: Peace—_Yart_

3: All is well—_Vere _

4: Survival of the People—_Ynn _

5: Act of War—_Eff _

6: Solidarity of Friendship—_De _

7: Sorrow—_Eye _

8: Eternity—_Yem _

9: Beauty—_Kei_

10: Mother—_Lorth _

11: Identity—_Bere _

12: Destiny--_Haa_

13: Soul mate—_Olyv_

14: Courage—_Shaile _

15: Traveler—_Woil _

16: Glory—_Thom _

17: Road—Sieyv

18: Battle—_Liuyv _

19: Heart—_Pai_

20: Redemption—_Lei _

21: Only/Important

22: Reflection—_Aynli_

"These are the first twenty two numbers," Billy told her. "And as a consequence, the most important numbers in their language system. It's a very unique and interesting way of communicating. Take, for example, the word 'Outcome'. Its meaning is derived from the combination: Glory, Sorrow, Soulmate, All is Well. These are the only four possible ways Lythmore's planet would have viewed as an outcome: glory from battle, sorrowful ending, finding true love, and just a general sense that all is well. It's elaborate and concise, all at once! Here's a list of those:"

Journey: Beauty, Eternity, Identity, Redemption, Peace

Outcome: Glory, Sorrow, Soulmate, All is Well

Distance: Travel, Road, Highest Power

Mirrors: Reflection

Cause: Act of War, Battle, Beauty, Survival of the People

Blood: Identity, Heart, Peace

"What about the words next to the English ones? What are they?"

"I'm afraid they're probably of little consequence," Billy said, sadly. "Which I still can't bear to tell Trini. Apparently, after Lythmore bestowed the code to the Islanders, they devised their own way to verbally convey the symbols. Trini spent months researching it."

"Huh?"

"Lythmore's race would have been capable of telepathic communication. This essentially means, that, in order to communicate, they would have effectively conveyed a message just by directing their thoughts to another individual. They would have, in essence, devised a numeric code according to the content of their message, and transmitted it telepathically. Obviously, the Islanders did not possess this form of communication. Instead, they devised a method to help convey the message."

Hayley looked at him sideways. "What if Lythmore had taught them this code? What if the names for the numbers have a purpose?"

Billy shrugged. "It is impossible to understand Lythmore's intent, even if such intent existed. It's irrelevant, regardless. The prophecy has already come to pass. We know our translation is correct."

"Prophecies are tricky things," a voice rang behind them, and Darcy entered. "I don't believe them, to be perfectly honest. Take, if you will, Macbeth. He only did the things he did because he was enlightened to the possibility that those things _could_ be a reality. The witches planted the seed, but he was the one culpable."

"Yes, but that's also irrelevant. Even if Macbeth's fate was self-imposed, the fact remains that the Witches initially pushed him in the right direction. They did correctly ascertain that he was to ascend to the Thane of Cawdor."

"Maybe," Darcy shrugged, somewhat serenely. "Or maybe fate was testing Macbeth, seeing if Macbeth was strong enough to overcome his weak destiny. Maybe fate had a whole other message, and he just couldn't understand it. Maybe he wasn't strong enough to heed its call."

"Interesting literary analysis," Billy said, somewhat dismissively. "Hayley, this coffee is excellent!"

Hayley smiled at him, and then returned her eyes to Darcy, a shiver running up her spine once again. She was starting to think Darcy might be closer to the truth than anyone else.

"Billy!" Trini came racing in. "There's an attack on Toronto! The damage is already devestating!"

Sighing, Billy turned away from the computer. "And Tommy?"

"We don't have time to convince them. We must fight. Contact Cestria, let her know that we will need backup!"

"Affirmative," Billy said, sighing again and typing furiously again.

"Hurry!" Trini said, before pulling out her morpher. Her expression determined, her voice rang out across the room in the words that Hayley was quickly equating with disaster:

"It's morphing time!"


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Sins of a Planet**

"I need backup!" Kat screamed into the intercom, her stomach lurching as her Zord took a huge hit and took a sharp turn. Whatever the hell it was she was fighting…it wasn't giving up.

"Billy _claims_ the Aquitarian forces are on their way," Even through the constant static, Zach found methods of effectively conveying his sarcasm. "_Shit_, I've been hit!"

"_What is this thing_?" Trini's voice weakly screeched. "It's too damn strong—"

"_Where the fuck is Tommy? Or Jason? What the hell are they doing? We need them!"_

Kat sighed. There was no point in responding. Tommy was "done" fighting, and Jason had took it on himself to convince him otherwise.

"It doesn't matter!" she finally rang back. "We have to fend this _thing_ off so he doesn't hurt anyone else." She winced as she watched the giant Boukarine swing back its slimy tentacle, heading towards her direction. "Hang on," she yelled to Darcy, who had let out a fearful yelp. Her Zord lurched, and then turned in midair in a direct path to the ground.

"Don't panic!" Kat fearfully instructed, scanning her vision for any possible way to stop her Zord from causing anymore damage to the war stricken city scape. "Just try to let it fall in the most opportune place possible—"

"_Let _it fall!" Darcy shouted at her. "_Let it fall?_ Shouldn't our main objection be to stop it from fall—_shit!_"

The pink falcon was steadily declining, heading straight towards a grossly tall highrise.

"_Pull up!_" Kat screamed, as instruments around her whirled and buzzed, somewhat belatedly informing the Zord's inhabitants of their impending doom.

"_I'm_ _trying!" _Darcy yelled, tears in her eyes.

Kat desperately pulled back and increased the speed, praying she could pull it off.

"What are you _doing?_" Darcy screamed, averting her eyes. "Are you insane?"

Her Zord felt a gentle tap, and Kat was relieved to see the building still in tact as she soared over it.

"_Kat? What the fuck are you doing?" _Jason's voice screeched. "If I hadn't pushed you at the last minute you would be dead—"

"_Took you long enough!_" Trini and Zach yelled in tandem.

"I have just spoken with Cestria. We can expect the Aquitarian forces to arrive at 18:22." Kat gave an annoyed look at her communicater, somewhat disgruntled by the ease Billy's tone maintained.

"Ten minutes? _Ten minutes? _What, are they trying to get us killed?"

"Come on guys, get it together!" Jason's voice boomed, increasing Kat's confidence slightly. Jason was here. Jason wouldn't let anything happen to her. "We can fight this thing! We're five versus one—how strong can he be? Everyone, prepare to assemble into the Megazord!"

Sighing, Kat frantically pressed buttons. This was going to be the longest ten minutes of her life.

* * *

She watched from a distance, very satisfied.

"This monster you have brought forth, this Boukarine. Has it been alive long?"

"A baby, my liege. It wasss created a mere hour ago."

"And yet, it is strong. It fights well. These Rangers, the Veterans. They are losing."

Ghidor smiled. "Yesss, my Lady. You are correct. Your power is no match for theirsss."

She sneered. "Of course it isn't. Did you doubt my power?"

Ghidor bowed. "Of courssse not, my liege. You are the most powerful being to ever be. You are growing more and more powerful by the day, oh Great One. Soon, you will be at your full potential."

She waved her hand in a gesture of silence, carefully setting it back down upon her black pants she had had the minions provide for her. "That is to be later determined. There are only five here. Where is the last?"

"We have no way of knowing, my liege. Perhapsss it is the other Ranger, the one that fought with the Vessssel when we originally tried to procure her."

"Oh yes." She said, shutting her eyes as her hand started to shake. "It must be. The girl, she screams at his mention, yet won't tell me his name. She is a strong one, this girl. Fiercely loyal. Reminds me of myself, before I procured the _true knowledge._ She blocks herself from me every time I try and search her mind for answers. But, 'tis no matter." She opened her eyes, her hand no longer shaking. "She will break down in time. They will all break down in time."

Ghidor bowed, standing up abruptly at the sight of a large spacecraft flying through the sky.

"It isss Aquitar!" he hissed. "They have made a pact—"

"It no longer concerns us," she said firmly standing upright, and turning away from the window. "The Boukarine is no more use to us. He will be destroyed now, so I can destroy the world later. It is simple. Anyway, the girl is slowly leaking the information she least wants me to see. Apparently, someone else has fulfilled her post as the Pink one."

"But Lythmore said that only the Original Sssix—"

"_Dare you mention that name in my presence?"_ her calm composure seemed to snap in two. "_Dare you forget the sacrifices made at that traitor's expense? And yet, you seem fit to insult me—_?

Ghidor fell to his knees in horror. "No, No, my Mistressss! Forgive me! Forgive my ignorance. I only meant to question the Propheciessss, the Propheciessss that spoke of your second coming! How I have worshipped them, worshipped the promissse you would return to uss—" he paused, seeing a large sword levitating in front of his eyes. "Forgive me!"

Her fists were tightly clamped behind her back, her brown eyes lifeless. "You anger me again," she whispered. "I shall see your demise." With a flick of a finger, the sword had vanished. "Now," she said again. "Stand. There is chaos to be had."

She turned and walked out of the room, briskly and with purpose, greeted by a team of groveling Wrathians that fell over one another to open the door for her.

* * *

"This is bullshit!" Kira screamed, throwing open the doors to Tommy's lair. "He fucking leaves us out to dry? We could have been killed? Does he not care?"

"He_ cares_, Kira. He's just a bit distracted—" Kat's head was throbbing. Another tantrum was not what she needed.

"_Distracted? _He's _distracted? _I'm a little bit distracted by the fact I'm trying to be _murdered_ every time I step outside—"

"I think she has a point." Trent said evenly. "I mean, the least he could do—"

"I'm sorry, did I _ask _for your help?"

"That's it!" Jason exploded. "That. Is. It. You want to get killed? Go ahead. Seriously, go for it. We'll find someone else to take your place, because, _apperantly_, that's how it works. No matter _how _stupidly someone tries to drive a Zord—"

Something inside Kat snapped. "Just shut up—"

"_Will everyone just shut up!" _Trini snapped. Everyone fell silent, unaccustomed to Trini's raised voice. "Listen," she said through gritted teeth. "If you have something awful to say, please step outside of the house to say it. I am not dealing with anyone's shit anymore. I could die tomorrow. I _won't_ have my last night spent listening to a bunch of immature, overly emotional, angst ridden _babies_ ruining it. _Are we understood?_" Everyone paused for a moment, somewhat opened jawed at the idea of rational Trini handing them their asses on a platter. However, it seemed to effectively disseminate the bomb that was ticking before them, so they merely shrugged as she tore up the stairs, closely followed by a similarly disgruntled looking Zach.

"I'm sorry I called you stupid." Jason muttered in Kat's direction.

She smiled. "I'm sorry I called you an unbearably overprotective prick."

He paused. "You didn't."

"I was getting there."

He laughed, and pulling her closer to him, enveloped her in a hug.

"How are we going to survive the attacks if Tommy doesn't help?" she said, muttering into his shirt. "We only barely survived this time—"

"He'll come around." Jason muttered back, stroking her hair. "I know Tommy. He loves Kimberly, but he's strong. He'll fight to defend his planet. There's too much at stake."

"I hope so," Kat muttered back, sighing contentedly. "Because our planet is entirely too wonderful to lose."

* * *

She hated this planet.

It was entirely too much like the last one, her _home_. Perhaps that's why the Powers that Be intended on having the final battle here. Perhaps, they were intent on recreating history as closely as possible. There must be irony in this. She had quickly discovered the Powers' love for irony.

None of that mattered. Nothing mattered anymore. She had a destiny, a purpose. She would finish what she had started, protect and guard everything she was. He would fight her again, it was true. But this time, she would not let him destroy her

He had tricked her—a sorrowful truth that time had not yet begun to heal. He had tricked her into thinking that he loved her, lulled her into a peace. She had fought for him, betrayed her father for him, and yet he tried to destroy her? Inconceivable. He would pay, as he had once made her pay.

This time, it would be different. This time, she would be strong. He would lie to her again, tell her he loved her and he wanted to protect her, insincere tears rising to his eyes.

Had she really believed him? It seemed like a lifetime ago. She had let her arm fall, and in that moment, he had sealed her to her doom, forcing her into containment, breaking her down into nothing but a mass of energy that floated around lifeless for ions.

He had been so strong, once. Purposeful, determined. She had loved him instantly, had known she would forsake everyone for him. Her father, likewise, had hated him—seen him as a threat to the band of Rebels he had so lovingly established. She had never really believed in politics, never believed the war against good versus evil really existed. Good and evil were nothing but relative terms. Life did not exist so peacefully.

The resident Wise Woman of the village had once told her that her visions were something of grotesque forms, that eventually, she would no longer be able to see anything clearly, that it would overtake her and destroy her—she would cease to be Lorvenia and become something darker and more severe. Maybe it was true. Lorvenia seemed now to be nothing but a distant memory, just as the memories of this, this _Kimberly_ were quickly fading into the background of her mind. She needed no persona, she needed no identity. She needed to defeat him, defeat the last shreds of humanity that still existed within her, the throngs of a bitter heartbreak she had so longed to overcome. Should she do this, should she kill the last remaining emotions inside of her, she would truly be free—her power would be complete. With but a blink of an eye she would summon enough energy to destroy the world, freeing these piteous beings of their meaningless existence.

She wondered briefly what the Heir would look like—if he would resemble him at all. She had tried to let the centuries rip her of the memory of his face, the whispers he had once produced in her ear. He had meant none of them, but that did not halt their voice, the articulate language soaring through her mind, setting her soul at ease and on fire, simultaneously.

But happiness is for the weak, those who cannot afford to face their destiny. Happiness is a lie, just as love, and loyalty is a lie. People will only give what they can afford, and once the price is raised, they simply revoke it, and will fight anyone who challenges. She had sought to bring an end to the war—instead, he had destroyed her.

Within her, the girl screamed, longing to be set free. Yes, she was strong. She begged for her friends lives without revealing any of their secrets; she fought against herself with as much vigor as she could muster. She would not cease the screaming, nor would she admit defeat. There was so much sorrow, so much pain, so much regret.

It made her sick.

She wanted to shake this girl desperately, to force her to see the truth. _If I get my way, there will be no more pain. There will be no more regret. There will only be darkness—beautiful, calm, cool darkness. _

This did not cease the girl's energies, who only struggled harder. _You will be defeated. They will defeat you, for the sake of the good, for the sake of the innocent. You will die and I will rejoice._

_No. If I die, then you will die too. You will not rejoice. You will cease to be._

_That won't matter. You'll be gone. I will rejoice. _

She shrugged now, blinking back into the present. She was wrong, just as he had been wrong. She would win. Her destiny was set in stone, and she would not see it scratched out by Lythmore's hand. He could not stop her this time. She would be victorious.

Eyes flashing, she summoned Ghidor.

"It is time," she proclaimed. "For another attack. Send an army to London. I want to see it completely destroyed."

* * *

"I miss you," Billy announced to the teleprompter, rather sadly.

"And I, you," Cestria's kind voice rang out. "But we have a duty first—mine to my planet, and you to yours. We shall be victorious, and on that day, have a sweet reunion. Until then…"

"Until then, I will effectively convey the message to the other Rangers," Billy finished. "Fear not. Aquitar's assistance proved to be a large success."

"As I know your planet would have done for us!" Cestria said, smiling. "Goodbye, my love."

He smiled sadly as her image faded from his view. Sighing, he stood up, staring at the stairs somewhat hesitantly. They were all upstairs, waiting for him, waiting to hear what the council had to say.

Waiting to live, waiting to die.

They had really lost Kimberly. It was a fact he still wasn't completely sure he believed. Kimberly had been with them since the beginning—the original Power Ranger. To believe she was evil was to simply renounce all preconceived notions of livelihood—he simply could not do that.

A part of him did not fault Tommy for refusing to partake in battle. He did not know how he would react if placed in a similar situation. However, he was beginning to feel he had misjudged Tommy—surely, Tommy would not abandon his friends, his planet, because of a horrible self-confliction. They had been _adolescents_ when they had originally accepted their post—burgeoning adults notoriously known for their indecisiveness and overly-emotional reactions to rather subdued situations. Surely, slightly more quizzical l situations _now_ would be met with a higher degree of maturity and wisdom.

He sighed again, making his way toward the door, dreading the anxious faces that awaited him.

The future had always seemed certain as a teenager—so very certain. They had never really considered death as a result of battle. Their lives hung delicately in an unsound argument: They were young; young people should not die; therefore, they would not die. They had thrown all their faith in Zordon's hands, they had battled against discovering the truth of their mortality. One by one, they discovered it; one by one, they had fled.

Except Tommy.

The Leader. The one who had fought the longest, fought the hardest. He had not given up, even when asked. He had wanted to keep fighting, to defeat evil.

Irony, Billy figured, is never lost. Here was Tommy's opportunity to do just that, and it would cost him the life of his soul mate.

Billy put on a brave face and pushed open the door, his stomach slightly falling to see all heads snap towards him, each face identically plastered with a grim expression.

"It has been arranged." He said smoothly. "Our technology is now linked with the others. From now on, if we fight, we do so with support from both Coalitions."

"Good," Jason said evenly, his tone conveying far more reassurance than his eyes. "This is the kind of alliance we've been waiting for."

"Cestria also mentioned that, should we be victorious, Earth would then become the headquarters of all intergalactic evil regulation. The Power Rangers would be the model. It would truly be a groundbreaking event in the battle between good and evil."

Jason shrugged this off. "Right now, we have to focus on winning the war."

"Which we can't do until Tommy stops brooding."

"Give him time," Trini urged. "I have faith in Tommy. I know him. He'll turn the corner, just wait."

In a split second, small alarms went off, every body in the room immediately checking the Transmitters attached to their wrists.

"London," Zach read off. "Shit, this one looks tough."

"Everyone, morph!" Jason commanded. "I've got to go talk to Tommy. Billy, you contact Cestria and make sure the forces are underway. I'll be along shortly."

"Absolutely," Billy said, retreating to the basement. Jason gave a sharp nod towards Zach, who assumed game face.

"It's morphing time!" He called, and Jason watched as each Ranger slowly disappeared from sight, catching Kat's eyes to voice a silent goodbye.

"One more time." He whispered under his breath, approaching Tommy's door. "Just one more."

* * *

The first time she had ever smiled at him, he had fallen in love.

It was true. As a teenager, she had been bubbly and full of energy—full of life. He had been quiet, reserved, drawn into training and achieving everything he wanted to achieve. He had always admired he for her ability to love everyone and everything—to love without holding back, to love without fear. She had loved him before she knew better—he had loved her long after he had tried to reason his emotions away. They had _clicked_.

He imagined going back, to find himself walking into Angel Grove High that first day—to turn himself back. "Go home. Save yourself. It isn't worth it." He imagined seeing his confused youth, disconcerted at the bizarreness that was occurring before of him, questioning him.

"But why? Why should I?"

Tommy tried imagining what he would tell this younger version of himself, looking into eyes untouched by the volatile nature of love, of lust, of fear, of passion. He tried to remember what it was like back then, before he knew anything about life, before he had any concept of destiny and despair.

He couldn't.

He couldn't remember life without Kimberly, simply because, there was no point. She had given his life purpose, focus. He would wake every morning because he got to fight alongside her, alongside the other friends he had made. He would wake every morning because that was what was _right_. Because what was _right_ made him _happy._

And now? How did being right fit in now? Right was a medley of wrong, was a prophecy foretelling his slaughtering the girl who solely defined _right._

He laid back in bed, closing his eyes, feeling her body next to his, the way the tips of her fingers traced the outline of every muscle in his body.

He had wasted so much time trying to hate her, when all he needed to do was forgive her. God, why?

His mind buzzed with sleep, but a weary adrenalin trudged forward. No, sleep was for someone who had earned it. Sleep was for someone who would fight for the one they loved.

He sighed resignedly, and willed himself to rest.

_Rest_? He scoffed. _Rest was for people who had purpose, who knew what they were going to do with their destinies. He had not earned rest. _

Stretching out, he felt a small peace descend over his body, a peace he had not felt in a long time. A strange wind blew his face, and in an instant, he knew.

_She was there, now. _

He opened his eyes slowly, and without surprise, seeing the image of her face inches from his.

"Hi," she whispered, tracing the outline of his lips.

"Hi," he whispered back, closing his eyes at the touch, longing to hold her, but afraid to disturb the fantastical dream.

"You're broken," she said sadly, kissing his forehead. "You look terrible."

"Thanks," he whispered back, with a small smile. "I appreciate it,"

"Tommy," she whispered, suddenly urgent, her eyes searching his face desperately, trying to memorize every detail. "I don't have long. I just needed you to know. The prophecy—you must."

"No!" he whispered, shaking his head vigorously. "I won't—I _can't_. I love you—"

"I love you, too," she whispered, tears in her eyes, as silenced him with a gentle touch to his lips. "But there's no time. You have to fight, you can't give up." She gave a small smile. "Not that you would. Deep down, your strong."

"Not strong enough to kill you!" he blurted out, slowly reaching to encompass her form. "I can't—"

"She pressed closer to him, tears in her eyes. "I'm just a dream. You can't feel me," she nuzzled her head closer to him, and Tommy realized (with some despair) she was telling the truth. "I know it's not fair," she whispered, her voice heavy with tears. "But you can do it. I know you can. And just know…" she paused, moving back to meet his eyes once again. "That I love you. And this is what I want. If we can't be together in this lifetime, than maybe after. Maybe the next. I'm not sure how it will work, but I just know that there has to be something better out there for us. But please, Tommy. For the world, for the world that let us fall in love in the first place, for the world that let us find each other. You have to save that world!"

Tears slowly fell down his cheeks, as he studied her face for the last time. "I love you." He said again. "I just wish I could kiss you."

She closed her eyes and leaned towards him. "Maybe one day," she whispered.

And she was gone.

He sat up, wiping the tears away.

Jason had just entered the room, panting and determined looking.

"Save your breath." Tommy said simply. "I'm ready." He swallowed, his fists clenched. _For Kimberly_, he thought, and then turning back towards Jason, gave him a significant look.

"I'm ready to fight again."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Heir to Tradition**

Trini's sensei had once told her there was a subtle joy and knowledge to be found in the repetition of nature—to treat each reoccurrence as an important part of a cycle, one to be treasured and revered.

_Somehow_, Trini thought bitterly. _I don't think Sensei wasn't imagining the reoccurrence of getting pummeled by gigantic monsters._

"Hang on!" she shouted again, trying to prevent her Zord crushing another building as lasers sprayed from the ten battle ships zooming over the Zord's head.

"I'm sorry, when did I sign up for Star Wars?" Kira muttered, punching a few buttons and sighing in relief as the Zord corrected itself.

"How the hell can Lorvenia support this many monsters?" Trini burst out angrily. "They just keep coming—one after another. This is the tenth attack, this week! Not to mention the fact that they're attacking three others cities as we speak!"

Kira groaned as the gigantic, tentacled monster speared his barbed tentacles at their weary Zord. "Make that four!" she muttered. "Readings just came in from Sydney. They're under attack as well."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Trini groaned. "That's London, Chicago, Sydney, and Rome all a once? Who the hell has the power to sustain all those creatures _at once_?"

"To make matters worst," Kira muttered as she grabbed the controls. "This Octopus Freak took out our communicator. We have no way of knowing how the others are!"

Trini had a sinking feeling that their minds were in the same Zord—the last time she had checked, Zach and Trent were barreling their way through an army of Wrathians attacking London. She prayed they were okay.

A jarring lurch shook her out of her reverie, and she swore loudly. While the Coalition's blasts had seemingly subdued the monster, he was now regenerating at an alarmingly fast rate.

"Shit!" Kira groaned. "How much longer do you think we're going to last?"

"Long enough." Trini assured her, jaw clenched. "And at least we have Tommy back. That's a whole other Zord, ready to go to battle."

"Even with the Coalition's help—" Kira started, slamming her fist down on the button to launch the rockets. "These monsters aren't quitting. This Lorvenia character…she's going to be tough to defeat."

"Don't think about that now." Trini told her gently, shaking her head to clear out the image of Kimberly's face. "Focus on surviving. That's all we can do—one battle at a time."

Shaking slightly, Kira refocused her attentions on the control pad in front of her, praying for a positive outcome.

* * *

Muscles flexing and tensing in rapid succession, Tommy moved through the army of Wrathians without much consequence. Morphing had improved his strength tenfold, and with the help from about ten of the Alliance's best battle cruisers, the battle was slowly tipping in their favor.

"It's nice to have you back!" Dorian yelled from somewhere to Tommy's left. "But I could use a little more assistance—AH!"

Tommy gave a small, half-laugh as he launched a Wrathian into a building, and quickly floored another one with a swift kick, catching Dorian as he flew through the air. Setting him on the ground, he gave him a small pat on the helmet.

"Keep trying. You're getting better."

"I appreciate it."

A flash out of the corner of his eyes made his head turn suddenly, his heart immediately captivated by the small, feminine frame that was sauntering away from a quiet, hidden corner in the middle of battle.

"Kim?" he muttered to himself, narrowly dodging a near fatal blow given by a heavily armed Wrathian, and jogging in that direction.

"Tommy?" Dorian called questioningly, doing his best to hold a coherent conversation while avoiding a thick, barbed chain one of the Wrathians was now swinging.

"Hey!" Jason called out, equally as concerned. "Tommy? Where are you going?"

He did not hear their voices, his mind racing. Slamming a Wrathian to the ground, he sprang around the corner from which the evanescent form had disappeared. She couldn't be too far ahead of him. She just couldn't.

Demorphing, he set out on foot, motivated with the promise of seeing her. He approached quickly, but cautiously, relief flooding through his heart as the woman appeared in front of him.

_Her walk is different._ He realized. _It's more rigid, more tense. There's no bounce in her step. _Still, there could be no mistaking it. It was her. It must be. The light brown hair, shining golden under the sun was just as he envisioned it in his mind.

"Kim!" his heart threatening to pound out of his chest as he gained on her, and suddenly drawing up to a halt. At the sound of his voice, the figure had stopped, shoulders drawn back. He waited, a few yards away, to gauge her reaction.

"Your voice," she said, and Tommy was relieved to hear the light, tinkling notes of Kimberly's tone. True, it was more formal, a little deeper, but it was _her. _She was in front of him again. "She hears it and she wails and weeps."

A shiver of cold blasted through his veins, and his breath caught in his throat as she turned around. She was all there—the light brown hair, shining golden under the sun, the delicate mouth, her button nose.

_But her eyes_.

The warm, amber brown was gone. In its place was a solid, shining black.

"This Kimberly you speak of?" her voice spoke again, and Tommy felt the hope drain from his body. This wasn't her. He should have known better. "She strives to conceal your identity from me, to protect you. But it is futile. She has betrayed you to me—you are the Green Ranger."

"In the flesh," he sputtered, confused at the anger that rose up within him. _This is Kimberly! _He thought. _I can't fight her!_

Her impassive eyes narrowed slightly. "Yes," she said, shutting her eyes momentarily. "Oh, how she weeps. Her fear is great. The chaos, the pain. It is beautiful. You pitiful humans. Your emotions make you so weak, and yet, you refuse to see it."

"That's why you're trying to destroy us?" he hissed, his temper flaring. "Because you can't understand—"

"_Can't_ understand?" her eyes snapped open, and Tommy suddenly felt afraid. There was a power within her he knew he could not fight. "Let me tell you something, little boy. By the time I'm done with your world, I will be the most revered character in all of history!" she paused, slowly rotating thoughts within her mind. "Not," she added. "That you'll be around to witness it."

"We'll see about that!" Tommy snarled. "But in the mean time, I'd like you to pass a message to my girlfriend. Tell her I won't stop fighting until I personally cast you back into whatever sick dimension you—"

She jerked her hand up, and Tommy flew backwards, noting how her black eyes glittered dangerously. "You are done talking!" she hissed. "You are no longer of any interest to me."

Tommy hit the wall with a groan, and sliding down, he grasp for his morpher.

"Try it!" she laughed. "Try your weak, divided powers against me. You serve the wrong master, child. He failed to stop me once before, he will fail again. I will be victorious, and I shall have my way. You will be dead within forty eight hours."

He pulled himself up, breathing heavily, face strained with pain.

"Although," she added thoughtfully. "Why prolong the inevitable?"

And raising her hand, Tommy prepared to die. Lowering his eyes, he was surprised to hear a sharp yell of pain.

"Kim?" he said again, rushing towards her figure, now doubled over in pain.

"No!" she was muttering to herself, brown eyes warm. "No, I won't let you, I won't let you! I won't!"

"Kim!" he kneeled beside her and helped steady her shaking form. "You fought her!"

"Tommy!" she gasped, her voice strained. "The prophecy! You must defeat—"

Tommy's heart gave a disheartened lurch as the shaking stop and the eyes once again became blackened. He, once again, felt his body be propelled forward by an invisible force.

"She is strong!" she sputtered, rising to her feet unsteadily. "No matter. I will break her in time. You are spared, Green One. But be warned: The next time we shall meet will be quite different."

She disappeared that instant, leaving Tommy alone in the alley, only slightly aware of the distant, victorious roars coming from his teammates.

_It's clear_, he thought with sudden regret. _I now know what I have to do_.

Shaking slightly, he made his way back towards the streets.

He made it back towards the intersection that had, minutes earlier, been preoccupied with battle. He was surprised to see a large space ship set down in the middle of it.

"Tommy!" Dorian called, waiting outside the entrance. "Billy wants you! He and Jason are already on the ship!"

Jogging forward, he boarded the ship, met by Jason and Billy's worried faces.

"Where did you go?" Jason snapped, punching him on the shoulder. "We were worried!"

"I ran into Lorvenia," he said shortly, avoiding their eyes. "And no, I don't want to talk about it."

"Is he here?" Cestria's blue form appeared in the doorway. "Oh! He is? Can we get started?"

"What's she so excited about?" Tommy muttered to Jason, who was looking at him with a shocked expression.

"You saw Kimberly?"

"_Lorvenia_," he corrected darkly.

Jason grimaced. "That bad?"

"Worse."

"Gentleman!" Cestria's voice was in front of them. "This way! There's someone I'd like for you to meet!"

She pulled the door open, revealing a woman with features very similar to a cat's. "This," Cestria proclaimed proudly. "Is Kat Manx. And I think you'll be very excited to hear what she has to say."

"Good afternoon, gentleman," she said, stepping forward to shake their hands. "I have been conversing with the leaders of the Alliance and the Coalition, and they are very excited with the progress of the war thus far."

Jason bowed. "Thank you. We appreciate that."

"We have full confidence you will succeed in your mission, and that the Heir will defeat Lorvenia. That is why we have begun making future plans."

"Future plans?" Tommy said, raising his eyebrows.

"You see," she began. "I am a part of a secret coalition, and much like yourselves, are a part of an ancient tradition. You see, once upon a time, on Sirius, there was something that was known as Space Patrol Delta. It was the force Lythmore worked for, and it trained the Sirians and other alien races to defend the galaxy. When Lorvenia's father, Emperor Grumm, invaded, that's when the wars of the mythology you are both well acquainted with began. SPD was ultimately defeated, but has survived in the form of other branches, all kept secret by necessity. There is one such branch on earth, one that I am a part of." She paused, clearing her throat.

"I propose that, should we successively win this war, that we attempt to reinstate SPD, by using it as both a scientific headquarters to develop new technology and a sort of police academy, to train future generations to fight the monsters that will ultimately come. So far, the results of our studies have proven that we _can_ give human children the superpowers that are required to be a power Ranger. I'm confident that this could easily become a public organization—not only would that put you in retirement, but you would ensure the world's future survival."

"Wow." Jason said. "That sounds amazing."

"But exactly how do you plan on accomplishing all this?" Tommy said, somewhat suspicious. "And how much involvement from us will you need?"

"My old friend Anubus Cruger would happily be reassigned to earth, and would be a wonderful protector and teacher. We would, naturally, wish for you to be an active part—maybe a part time instructor?"

"You're getting ahead of yourself," Tommy reminded her gently. "The War isn't won yet."

"No, but by the time the Heir ascends—"

"We're not sure exactly what the Heir is going to do at this point," Jason said apologetically, shooting a curious look at Tommy.

Kat's face crumpled into a frown. "But he has to!" Kat said, somewhat surprised. "The entire world rests in his hands!"

"Yes," Jason said. "But it's complicated—"

"No." Tommy said, eyes straight ahead. "No, it's not complicated. She's right. We can't let this world be destroyed."

Jason stared at him, mildly shocked. "Are you saying that you're going to perform the ritual?"

Tommy looked at him, eyes conflicted in self loathing. "Yes," he said, in a voice much stronger than he felt. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

"I believe you have assessed this situation correctly," Billy told him, sadly. "To perform the ritual, you must journey out to Lythmore's temple. It is believed to be—"

"In the Carribean ocean," Jason finished. "I'll take you. Kimberly…she found it on accident." He lowered his eyes, sadness rushing over him.

_So this is it._ Tommy thought, to himself. _I have accepted my destiny. _

"You will need to prepare to travel as soon as possible. Our sensors demonstrate Lorvenia's power is rising. She will be at her prime within thirty five hours, and be able to conjure enough energy to dissipate all humanity."

"That doesn't sound good," Jason muttered.

"Essentially," Billy said, taking off his glasses to clean them nervously. "It would be the equivalent of dropping twenty nuclear bombs, all over the world. The people would suffer, their bodies deformed, and then, simply collapse. There will be chaos—nothing but pure chaos."

"That's not going to happen," Tommy spoke again, his voice stronger. "Jason, are you sure you can find it again?"

He nodded dully. "Yes." He said, his eyes distant.

"Then we leave right now." Tommy said, turning away from the ship. His mind was set. There was no way out.

* * *

"I have heard enough of your excuses!" she snapped, her black eyes glittering dangerously. Ghidor fell to his knees before her, pleading for his life.

"My Leige, you mussst try to underssstand. There are dangerousss timesss—"

"Will you deny me my glory?" she snarled, fingers tapping ceaselessly on her dark pants. She had sensed Lythmore's presence in her dreams—he was preparing himself to ascend to his vessel. Time was quickly running out.

"No, my liege!" Ghidor cried desperately, scaly face flaring in fear. "I am sssssimply advising. Our lassst three attempts have been thwarted by the Rangerssss—"

She conjured a sword out of midair, hurtling it across the room, smiling as it barely passed Ghidor's head. He cowered. "Enough of your excuses!" she snapped. "My power is quickly approaching the necessary level. We will continue with the attacks, regardless of the outcome."

"But my Liege! Lythmore—"

He was silenced, and his hands immediately flew to his throat. He turned his attentions back towards his mistress, eyes bulging.

"Misstresss!" He breathed his throat collapsing slowly. "Spare me!"

"I _warned_ you about using that name!" she hissed, clenching her fists tightly and watching as he slowly fell to the floor, hands around his long, thick throat. "I told you never to mention his name in my presence. _And yet you continue to defy me. _Clearly, a lesson has not been learned!"

Ghidor's eyes were widened with fear. "I am not worthy," he choked out, bowing up and down quickly.

Sighing, she unclenched her fists, and watched as Ghidor gasped the air gratefully.

"This will be the last time I spare you," she hissed. "And only because you will be necessary to carry out the Final Plan."

"You are truly exalted, my liege! I worship you, I fall to my kneessss before you!"

"Enough!" she shouted. "Your groveling is of no use to me." She paused, clutching her stomach.

_His powers. _She thought bitterly. _They're growing by the second. _

"We're running out of time. Prepare my armies for the final battle. I want to wreck as much havoc as possible. The Rangers will be forced to defend the city, then they won't be getting in my way."

Ghidor bowed enthusiastically. "Yessss, my Leige. Where shall I ssssend the troopsss?"

She paused, her head flying to her head, trying to override the wail of despair that her vessel had sent rising up within her.

"Angel Grove." She said at last.

"And which Covenant shall I send?"

She paused, delighting as the vessel screamed with despair.

"Every single one."

* * *

"You'll have to morph." Jason told him gently, stopping the boat's motor and casting a look into the depths and remembering, with regret, the last time he had been in those waters with Kimberly. "And hang on to the stones. Lythmore will supposedly guide you after that."

"You told me that already," Tommy's voice was soft, his eyes distant.

Jason paused. "I'm sorry it had to be like this, man."

Tommy nodded, focused on the island in the distance. "This is what Kim wants. I know that. That look in her eyes, when she finally gained control of the monster. She wants us to win. She knows this is the only way." His eyes dropped to his hands, which were clenched together by his sides. "I only hope I'm strong enough to do it."

"Lythmore will be there." Jason said, patting him on the back. "All you have to do is perform the ritual."

"Yeah." Tommy said, softly. "Yeah, I guess that's true."

"Look," Jason said, dropping his eyes. "When all this Is said and done, I want you to know that I'll be here. We all wil. You won't go through this alone."

"I know, man." Tommy said. "But you can't make this better. I have to do it, I get it. But I go in there alone. I fight her alone. I kill her alone. I don't think about it because I can't, but I saw her. Kim is still in there and I won't forget that. I won't let her be trapped in her mind, letting some vengeful power rape her thoughts and memories."

Jason stared at his hands with uncharacteristic focus. "I wish we could just go back," he said at last.

"To where?" Tommy said, his voice tired. "To high school? Or childhood? Or hell, while we're at it, let's go back a million years and stop Lorvenia from being born. It doesn't matter. You can't, but even if you could—"

"We'd do it all the same." Jason finished, raising his eyes.

Tommy studied his hands, silently reflecting on the memories of each scar. "Yeah," he finally said. "We're men with destinies. All this time we've fought it, but now it's about time I've stopped. There's a plan, and we no longer have a choice."

Jason nodded, staring out into the distance. "Good luck," he finally said.

Nodding, Tommy stared into the clear, turquoise waters, preparing himself for his task.

"Thanks, man. I'll need it."

And clutching his morpher tightly, he dove into the water, barely noticing the refreshingly cool sea water.

_I can't risk being distracted._ He told himself, clutching his morpher. "It's morphing time!" he called out, water lapping against his face.

_This is right._ He reassured himself as the change began to take place. _This is what Kimberly needs. You can't let Lorvenia hold her hostage._

_Then why do I hate myself? _A cold voice within him rang out. _Why does a part of me not care about the world?_

_Just morph._ He told himself. _Morph, and perform the ritual. Lythmore will take it from there. _

The transformation complete, he suddenly felt himself amidst a swelling whirl pool.

"Relax!" He heard Jason's voice call. "This is part of the ritual. Just make sure you hang on to the stones!"

He clutched the bag in his now gloved hand, a sense of dread washing over him.

Slowly, surely, the water gently pushed him below the surface, swirling in gentle waves. Before he knew it, he was under water.

A calm washed over him, and he realized he was in the temple.

**Be at peace, my child**

_I am at peace, Master, _he recited without meaning to.

**Have you brought the jewels I have entrusted my being within? **

_I have. _

**Put them forth on my alter. **

In a swoosh, the water around him vanished, pushing up five feet above his head, a traslucent cathedral ceiling. Looking around, he realized he was in the temple.

It was quite an impressive sight—massive stone tablets, each full of writing in a language Tommy could not recognize. The temple had been constructed out of six slabs of stone—five smaller ones, and one larger one. Each slab had a portrait etched on it: Trini, Zach, Jason, Billy.

Kimberly.

And his. His stood in the middle, contained within the largest slab. And around it, were six, hollowed circles.

Stepping forward tentatively, the boots of his suit clicking over the slicked, wet rock, he opened the small bag, removing the stones one by one and replacing them within the hollowed circles. Upon finishing, he stepped back, falling to his knees without thinking.

**Prepare your mind, my Son. I ascend to you now. **

And closing his eyes, Tommy fell unconscious as six flashes of light bounced across the cave, encircling him, and finally, conjoining together and thrusting, as one, into his heart.

He was alive.

Millions of years spent in disembodied, frantic energy currents, floating in impatient guilt melted away and solidified in front of his eyes.

_His eyes. _He could see again! True, this body was foreign to him, but he had expected that. The Great Power had revealed so much to him, for which he would be eternally grateful. He would fight again, in this brazen vessel. He would face _her_ again, and pray that his hope was not misplaced.

He looked around him, at the temple he had ordered to be built in his name, staring at the faces he himself had etched into the walls. He had dreamed of their faces for years before he had truly understood who they were—children who would happily inherit a tradition of power they would spend years trying to fathom; wonderful beings who would bring salvation to the world.

His eyes caught on the face of the girl, an dhte Vessel's heart lurched.

_Save her_ the voice within him pleaded.

"Ah, yes." He utilized his human voice now, tingling with pleasure as the worlds reverberated off the walls, tickling his tounge with amusement. "Kimberly Hart. Lorvenia's Chosen One."

_I love her. Please save her._

A sadness grew within Lythmore's new form. It was the saddest truth of all, the saddest recognition one could encounter, realizing they must destroy the one being you love most. "I will spare her if I am able." He spoke gently. "But beware: Lorvenia is strong, her power building for centuries now. I can feel her rising up within me, through the connection we share within our souls…or what's left of hers. The battle must come soon—no matter what the outcome, we must fight her." And stretching his arms out to the glittering surface above him, he flexed his knees, and hurtled towards the surface.

* * *

Memories, snippets of conversation tore through Hayley's mind, causing her to turn with restlessness.

_We're so close, so very close. I can feel it._

According to Billy's report, Tommy would have completed the ritual by now, wouldn't he? How close was he to the final battle?

_We're missing something. Something huge. Something about the language, the nuance of language—_

And then, and epiphany.

The words tore through her mind in a rapid blur:

"_That's the beauty of language. Every little nuance, every little punctuation or capitalization can mean something if you need it to. It's controllable, interpretable. There's a million different possibilities that each contains, and if you find one that works—well, it's quite thrilling."_

"_Well, you see, the meaning changes over time. What something means today is not necessarily what the author intended it to me two hundred years ago. Sometimes, you have to put it into context."_

"_Essentially, each number in their system essentially means something."_

"_Maybe fate had a whole other message, and he just couldn't understand it. Maybe he wasn't strong enough to heed its call."_

. "_Obviously, the Islanders did not possess this form of communication. Instead, they devised a method to help convey the message."_

Hayley's eyes snapped open.

_That's it._ She realized, adrenalin coursing through her veins. _We _were_ missing something. _

* * *

Jason scanned the surface nervously, waiting for any sign of Tommy's arrival.

_Or, is it Lythmore's? _he thought, his brow furrowed in confusion. His life was getting more and more complicated—he was pretty damn sure he didn't appreciate it.

He jumped up, almost losing his footing as the boat rocked from side to side, as Tommy surfaced with a splash.

"Did it work?" he asked hastily, reaching out for a hand to pull him back in the boat.

"Ah, yes," Tommy's voice said, his head lowered as he climbed in the boat. "The Red One. I recognize your voice." Jason gasped as Tommy lifted his head, revealing eyes that were completely white.

"Lythmore," he gasped, falling to his knees involuntarily.

"Arise," he said simply. "We must get to Angel Grove. The final battle has arrived."

Lifting his face, Jason felt his heart lurch.

_This is it._ He thought, as he prepared to morph.


	15. Finale

**

* * *

Chapter 15: Spiraling Downward**

* * *

Hayley jumped out of bed, and ran down the hall frantically, knocking on doors. "Wake up!" she shouted! "Wake up! We were wrong!" 

"What are you talking about?" Trini muttered, appearing at the door.

"Just get down to the basement! Wake up Billy! Quickly!"

She flew down the stairs, her hands shaking.

"What's going on?" Zach asked, following her quickly.

"Don't you understand?" Hayley said, suddenly overcome by a shot of adrenalin. "When Lythmore was writing the prophecies, he was under the influence off the Great Power—the most intelligent being of all time. They knew exactly how we would come to view his prophecies. They knew the prophecies would be read, and reread!"

"I don't understand," Zach said, yawning. "What are you talking about?"

"We're assuming that the prophecy, the one sealing Kimberly and Tommy's fate, was something that was directly translated, adapted to fit into our language," she said. "But why would The Great Power instruct Lythmore to bestow that kind of knowledge to a group of illiterate islanders? Why would they even bother preserving it if they didn't understand what it meant! Don't you see, Lythmore taught them the language, because the Great Power told him too!

Nobody dared breath, for fear her crazy would explode all over them

"If I am correct, and I think I am," Hayley said quickly. "That knowledge of the language wasn't something the Islanders just came up with. It was given to them, thousands of years ago, before known language existed."

"Meaning what?"

Sighing, she sat down and rapidly typed.

_Journey _

_Outcome_

_Distance_

_Mirrors_

_Cause_

_Blood_

"The six words that were capitalized? I already explained to you how their meanings derived."

"Shh!" Hayley snapped, hitting another button. "Just watch!"

21-9-8-11-21-12

21-16-7-13-3

21-15-17-1

21-22

21-5-18-9-4

21-11-19-12

"We've seen this before," Trini said gently. "This isn't anything new—"

"Just be patient!" Hayley said again, her fingers typing more and more frantically.

Journey: Beauty, Eternity, Identity, Redemption, Peace

Outcome: Glory, Sorrow, Soulmate, All is Well

Distance: Travel, Road, Highest Power

Mirrors: Reflection

Cause: Act of War, Battle, Beauty, Survival of the People

Blood: Identity, Heart, Peace

With a final press of a button, more words appeared on the screen—the translation:

Kei yem bere lei haa yart

Thom eye olyv vere

WielleSieyve Eil

Aynli

Eef Loyv Kei Ynn

Bere Pai Yart

"It's jibberish!" Zach snapped. "What does this have to do with Kimberly and Tommy?"

"Read it faster! Don't you see? It's a message for us! Sound it out: Kei yem bere lei haa yart. Kimberly Hart! It's not jibberish, it's a prophecy within a prophecy!"

Typing faster now, she wrote:

Kimberly Hart

Tommy Oliver

Will Save All

Only

If Love Can

Be Repaired

"Oh my God," Trini whispered. "She's right!"

"Vendoran told you that Lythmore and Lorvenia used to love each other, right? That they chose to fight on separate sides and it destroyed Lorvenia. What if this is part of The Great Plan? What if they knew that by naming Kimberly in the prophecy, Lorvenia would choose to possess her on principle, just because _she thought she was supposed to_? What if they knew that Tommy would be his heir? Don't you see? Two sets of lovers! Double the chance of love conquering all! They knew what was going to happen, knew that the prophecy would be followed to the letter! This was their way of tricking us into salvation!"

"That's incredible," Billy whispered.

"Maybe not." Zach said suddenly, his blood running cold. "Tommy's already performed the ritual. He's moments away from walking into the last battle! Even if this was because of the Great Power, then chances are its still a mystery to Lythmore—he could kill her anyway!"

"You have to stop him!" Hayley begged. "All of you! You have to get to him in time!"

An alarming wail sounded, and all eyes turned towards the computer screen, where flashes of familiar buildings popped into view.

"Angel Grove." Trini whispered, panic rising in a sharp crescendo. "She's attacking Angel Grove."

"Shit!" Zach said, banging his fists down on the table. "What do we do now?"

"We have to go save Angel Grove." Kat said, snapping into control. "People will die. Hayley, can you stay here and attempt to contact Jason? He'll be with Tommy. We have to let him know what you've discovered!"

"I won't stop trying until I've reached him!" Hayley said, her eyes tense.

Standing suddenly, filled with terror, Zach nodded. With a quick glance at the others, he assumed the position.

_It's morphing time! _

* * *

Jason felt the transformation complete, than turned back to Lythmore. 

"Where are we going?" he asked, bowing respectfully.

"I fear you won't like the answer," he said, closing his magnificently white eyes. "The Great Power tells me Lorvenia has targeted Angel Grove—the beloved city. She has assembled a strong army, and has put all her energy into them. Her power builds—her time is quickly approaching."

"Then what should we do?"

Lythmore searched the horizon through Tommy's eyes, and Jason fully understood the awe-inspiring terms Billy had used in describing him. Being in this close proximity to him made Jason want to fall to his knees in worship. Power poured forth from him, a strong and dignified will. Jason was at peace—they would win. Lythmore was here. They were saved.

"We shall seek out Lorvenia."

"So you can destroy her?" Instantly, Jason wished he could retract the words, as the entire aura surrounding Lythmore instantly changed, a melancholy falling over the boat.

"I have destroyed her once. It did not work."

"Did you love her?" Jason was once again surprised at his lack of tact. "I'm sorry, I didn't—"

"I did." His tone struggled to remain neutral.

"Did you love her like Tommy loves Kimberly?"

"Yes."

"Then you will still be able to destroy her?"

"I must preserve the innocent."

"Um…" he paused, feeling silly in instructing the original source of their power. "Don't you need to morph?

Tommy's lips curled back into a bemused smile. "No." he replied simply. "I possess my full strength once again. Morphing is no longer necessary."

"Maybe not for fighting," Jason looked around. "But the Zords are a hell of a lot faster than going on foot."

Tommy's voice laugh, and Lythmore's white eyes danced in amusement. "Zords will not be necessary either."

Jason stared at him, unguarded suspicion in his eyes. "Why do I not like the way that sounds?"

"Touch my hand." Lythmore replied simply, extending Tommy's arms. "I think you will find this way of travel significantly superior to the Zords."

Jason's suspicions increased, and his mind told him this was probably impossible. However, the more time spent in Lythmore's presence confirmed what his gut initially informed him—this was a being of pure power. Jason was pretty certain that he was not going to question his requests.

He tentatively gripped Tommy's wrist, and in an instant, the mildly calm sea blurred out of Jason's eyesight, the peaceful breeze stifled. He felt his skin stretch, his molecules slowly separating, disassembling and spreading, rising above the water and their small boat. Suddenly—a rush. Seconds later, his molecules reconnected and he found himself clutching the cold, familiar stone floors that had once turned them from children to adults.

"The Command Center?" Jason asked, rising slowly. "Why would we come here?"

Lythmore stepped forward, surveying the ruined, barren walls without betraying a hint of emotion. "To pay our respects," he said simply, turning back towards Jason. "And to gather our strength, to hone our focus." He took a knee, bowing his head, and Jason was once again silenced with awe, but managed to follow suit, taking a knee and lowering his head, eyes closing reluctantly but occasionally sneaking peaks at Lythmore through his peripheral vision.

It was an entirely different sentiment, staring at the stripped walls of the once thriving Command Center. He had stood here a mere week ago, tingling with excitement at reinstating his powers.

But now, his mood was subdued. They had lost Kimberly, and (as Jason was beginning to realize) would more than likely lose Tommy after all this was said and done with. Their powers disbanded, their friends lost to the tragedy of life, all that would be left were the memories.

"It is fitting." Tommy's voice spoke at last, echoing off the cracking stone. "That we would return here. I owe much to Zordon, and his efforts and fulfilling the prophecies. Greatness was born amidst these walls."

Jason watched with some amazement as a flash of light, followed by the glittering image of a sword. Sharp and deadly, Jason noted the jewel encrusted handle's six prominent gems: pink, green, red, blue, black and yellow.

"It is time for you to depart, my Son." Lythmore said at last. "She has felt my return and will seek me out here. You must return to the city, defend it against Lorvenia's forces. I must proceed alone."

Jason stared at him unblinking. "Then you will fight here? _Here_?"

Lythmore paused. "It is only fitting." He said again. "The beginning and the end often collide into one. You must leave, now."

"Wait!" Jason said, feeling as if the world was slipping out from underneath him. "How will we know when its over?"

Lythmore's eyes betrayed a sudden sadness. "You will know, either way."

Jason paused, staring out at the desert through the opening. "And Tommy?" he asked. "What will he do?"

Lythmore's expression was grimmer still. "That will be for him to decide. I will not repeat myself. She is hurrying here as we speak. Your life is in danger."

Jason nodded stiffly, his eyes unblinking. _This is it._ He realized, throat tightening, casting one last look around. They had grown up here, they had been happy here. They had discovered their destinies, discovered their identities.

And he would see it crash down in front of his eyes, dying with Kimberly's last breath as Lorvenia would leave her body, rushing upwards into oblivion, leaving nothing but the life draining out of Kimberly's eyes.

What would Tommy do? Lythmore would stretch his hands to the sky, disappear into the sky to take his place with Zordon and the rest of the great warriors that had conquered before them. He would leave Tommy alone with the corpse of his beloved, an innocent life fallen into the crossfire of an intergalactic battle she was somehow fated to die for.

He struggled to envision the scene, to attempt to guess Tommy's reaction, what his response would be. In an instant, he witnessed a thousand scenarios, each more desperately horrific than the next.

A roar in the distance caught his attention, and Jason strained his eyes across the desert to the distant town of Angel Grove. His beloved city, his home, was under attack. His friends were more than likely already fighting, possibly to the death. There was no reassurance that _they_ were going to even make it out alive.

"You must fight." Lythmore's voice prompted him gently. "Even when the odds are abysmal. Even when you have already resigned yourself to die. You must fight for the ones you love."

Nodding, Jason clutched his morpher, preparing himself for the inevitable. He closed his eyes, and let his body take control, performing the movements that were so natural. "It's morphing time!"

He disappeared, leaving Lythmore alone in the vast chasm of chaos, his mind dancing with tortured turmoil.

_I'm not ready. I can't do this. I can't kill her, I can't! I won't be able to survive it._

"Peace, my son." He spoke to the emptiness, attempting to appease the tortured inner voice. "You will have strength when the time is ready."

_I cannot destroy her, I cannot destroy her, I cannot—_

"If you do not, you will destroy the world in which you two fell in love. Surely, you could not do your beloved a greater injustice."

The voice momentarily ceased, but the unrest within him did not quell.

"You will be strong." Lythmore said again, each syllable softly returning to him in an echo, the stones bearing witness to the struggle. "You are freeing her. You must consider it as such. She knows you love her. But love isn't enough."

_It always has been._ The voice within him argued. _It's embedded within my planet's culture: The Creator's Love for Us, a man's love for a woman, a child's love for his mother. Why do you doubt the fabric of our planet's existence?_

Lythmore paused, lost in thought. "Perhaps it is because I too loved." He said at last. "And I, too, lost her. I survived it."

_You didn't destroy her. It's different._

"It's not," he said at last. "I was the one to end her life, but she destroyed herself…shed her Sirian body and ascended to a monster of disastrous proportions." He paused. "It is a pain that you cannot overcome, losing the one you love. Instead, you focus on the balance, the Great Plan. We are warriors—we cannot afford to be a slave to our emotions because we are already a slave to our people. We will fight to defend them, to save them, to spare them from the sufferings we have endured. We must fight, we must kill, even at our own personal despair."

The voice within him stirred, lost in despair. Yet, he was resigned. This must happen.

This was _going_ to happen.

"You are a brave child, my son." He spoke at last. "I commend you for your spirit." And taking a deep breath, he prepared himself for the inevitable.

* * *

His Zord raced across the still desert, slightly turbulent at being piloted solo. In the distance, a full fledge battle raged, bring Jason's ever pounding heart to a deafening drum, panic slowly increasing with each mile he passed. 

A sharp blast echoed in the background, and Jason sourly noted that dark, thick grey clouds had slowly covered Angel Grove, and as he descended on the city, his very core rocked at the merciless slaughter that was taking place beneath him. Wrathians, monsters, arm in arm, hacking and clawing, fighting solely to inflict as much damage as humanely possible.

Men, women, and children, screams strained with an unnatural, unceasing fear, were scattered amongst the streets, desperately fleeing the attacks of the wretched monsters.

Jason recognized it instantly—his heart thudding with a distanced horror. This wasn't a battle: this was the apocalypse.

He saw a flash of pink, and his panic increased: Kat! The others! They were fighting there too, with what looked like a small army of the Alliance's soldiers. They were grossly outnumbered—how on earth could they last?

He wasted no time gathering his wits, and hurtled himself down into the middle of battle.

"Jason!" he distantly heard Kat scream as he successfully used his sword to quickly silence an unruly Wrathian. "Tommy—Where's Tommy?"

"Command Center!" He screamed, slashing at a monster with a rounded, pig-like face. "The final battle."

"No!" she cried out, ducking a fatal blow from a purple monster with an elongated chin. "We have to stop him! The prophecy! Hayley found out another way. Kimberly doesn't have to die!" She fiercely kicked the monster, and gaining momentum, kicked him in the stomach, dissolving him into purple slime.

"What?" Jason roared, her voice getting lost in the shuffle of battle cries. He couldn't have heard her correctly—couldn't possibly.

"I said—" her words were abruptly halted as a Wrathian's strong blow knocked her down.

"Kat!" he screamed, attempting to get to her and soon stopped by a Wrathian's sharp kick to the back. He desperately searched for her amongst the masses, her form lost beneath the charging throngs of blood thirsty aliens.

He saw her reemerge, breathing a slight sigh of relief, and resumed the battle, refusing to acknowledge the dark truth that had settled on their beloved Angel Grove.

Angel Grove had fallen; it had descended from an idyllic, beach laden paradise into the River Styx—a gore-filled, abysmal river of the dead. Hell was upon them all, old and young, and life was quickly fleeting before their eyes. How long had they been fighting? Minutes? Days? Years? How long before the incessant cries of battle faded from their ears, before the beautiful sun warmed their skin? Would they be trapped in hell forever?

Pulling his sword out of the stomach of a Wrathian and turning quickly, Jason fought on. There was no way out, no other option. They were fated or live, or fated to die. It was a roll of the dice, and he had long given up any control. So he trudged on, fighting ceaselessly, praying for the best but prepared for the worst. He saw them all pass before his eyes: Kimberly, Tommy, Trini, Zach, Billy.

Kat.

A new strength rushing through him, Jason fought harder, an inhuman scream leaving his lips. He would not be a victim to this holocaust of goodness. He would be victorious. He placed his trust with Tommy—he knew his friend would not let them down.

* * *

She had felt him the exact instant he had arrived. 

A sudden sharpness had cut through her heart, and she knew that it was time, that she must seek him out, and destroy him. Her power was growing, a spreading darkness overtaking the city.

He would be her final kill, and earth would be hers. He would be the first victim to a ceaseless slaughter. And all that would be left, after the magic had run its course, would be her—a queen to the remaining universe.

She knew where to find him, knew what she must do. And yet, her vessel quivered, shook, screamed with a force that refused to yield. She knew the child could see the path that must be taken, the path that _would_ be taken, and was resisting.

"Resistance is futile, child." She snarled, picking up and examining the blade of her sword. "You will submit to my will, like it or not. I am in full power, now."

The child screamed again, a tortured yell. The child weakened as she strengthened. The child writhed in agony as she danced in pleasure.

"I will be a new God," she whispered to the blade of the sword, slowly rotating it in the dim light of her makeshift lair. "I will spill his blood, your beloved's precious blood and I will ascend to a new level of power. No one will stop me."

_You're wrong. _The vessel hissed within her. _You will be destroyed, just like you were last time. You will fall. Lythmore will defeat you._

She snarled. "You say the name like you have met him, as if you have personally witnessed his_ greatness._ You stupid, delusional child. He is nothing but a man. And a man will be defeated just like all others."

_Then you are nothing but a woman._

"You are wrong." She said decisively, sheathing the sword. "I was a woman once—weak, and sniveling like all the other members of my pathetic race. But I ascended, I became power in its highest form. I was truly magnificent to behold."

Another sharp pain overwhelmed her, and she knew the time had come.

"He is at the Command Center." She said, steadying her shaking hands. "He is waiting for me."

And with a sharp flick of her wrist, she disappeared into thin air.

* * *

He knew her at once. He felt her the second she had appeared. 

"You." He said simply, his head still bowed in reverent prayer.

"Me." She said, snarling. She stepped forward, the sharp click of her black boots echoing against the cold stone. "It is fitting I find you on your knees." She said, a voice betraying a scornful laughter. "You might not bother rising. You'll soon find yourself swiftly returned to that very same position.

He stood, still refusing to turn, staring at the great stone wall ahead of him. Beneath his flesh, the boy was crying for his love's life—pleading once again so that she might be spared.

"Your vessel." She said shortly. "He is making you weak."

"As does yours."

"Weak." She snarled. "This entire sniveling little race. I should be revered for my efforts."

"Revered?" he kept his tone lofty. "You will be destroyed instead. Will that suffice?"

"Destroyed?" she challenged. "By whom? By you? You could barely end our battle the last time, and as you could see, I am still very much alive, only stronger."

"You will be defeated, Lorvenia."

At the mention of her name, she immediately drew her sword and began circling.

"Don't you _dare_ mention that name in my presence."

Lythmore did not yet reach for the sword that was resting by his side. "It is who you are. Why do you deny yourself the name?"

"Because it is a part of mortal weakness, one that I have transcended." She snarled. "As I'm sure you'll remember."

"Oh, I do in fact remember." Sarcasm wrecked through his voice now, and he slowly lowered his hand down to grasp the sword's gilded handle. "As I recall, you transformed yourself into a rather hideous Sirian monster shortly before I defeated you. Between the two of us, it really did you little justice."

Lorvenia circled him, a shaking hand keeping the point of her sword aimed between Tommy's whitened eyes, her black eyes meeting his with a disgust.

"You are weak!" she hissed, blocking "You are weakened by your humanity. You can only see the world through those weak, pathetic, portal eyes. You are unable to see the beauty behind my mission."

"Call it a quirk." He replied shortly. "But I have never been able to find beauty in a dead, lifeless planet."

"Then you are deceiving yourself. Can you honestly proclaim that you cannot feel these pathetic beings' weakness?" she hissed. "They scream with despair, fight ardently to defend flimsy beliefs that they could change at a moments notice. They spend lifetimes destroying all hopes of making themselves happy; ruin any chance of finding peace. They are a lost race! A lost race of wretched children. Their demise will be the greatest victory this universe has ever seen!"

"Your anger with this race is misplaced." Tommy's voice was powerful and commanding, and Kimberly's stolen flesh shuddered in revulsion. "It is not this planet you wish destroy. It is something within your own mind, something greater and deeper than hatred. It is your own weakness."

"Liar!" she screamed, violently thrusting the blade of her sword. Lythmore caught it on his rapier's blade, a terrible scraping sound of metal on metal filling the cavernous room. Turning, Lythmore expertly blocked her next jab. "Dare you doubt my power? You, who witnessed the heights I attained? You, who watched my ascend my mortal body into a creature so powerful—"

Lythmore struck this time, a flurry of calculated blows that left Lorvenia no choice but to frantically parry, anger erupting from her lips in indecipherable battle cries.

"I witnessed a scared little girl transform herself into a wretchedly ugly creature." He hissed, striking at her again, anger in his voice. "A scared little girl who could not face the harsh truths of reality. A scared little girl who could not decide between shredded loyalty and honor."

"Silence!" she screamed, lunging again. Lythmore did not give her an opportunity to hit. He quickly parried her blow, and responded quickly, returning two blows that she just barely blocked, her anger hindering her ability to correct her increasingly sloppy stance. Her hand shaking too hard, she abandoned her sword, and instead, sent a swift kick to his forearm, catching him off guard. His sword sailed in a different direction.

Recovering, he turned, gained momentum, and sent his fist barreling into her stomach. She flew backwards slightly, her black eyes open wide in a shock as the breath rushed out of her. Recovering, she flipped backwards and landed a cork screw kick into his shoulder. He managed to catch her leg, and sent her flipping over.

She landed on the ground with a thud, shoulders heaving, black eyes blazing. "You think you can defeat me, you pathetic excuse for a—"

"It would do you well to spend less time discussing your venomous anger and more time focusing on the skillful art of battle. Your hatred weakens you, cuts off your ability to think."

Her face screwed up in anger, she threw her legs back and flipped up into a standing position. Wasting no time, she gained momentum and delivered three swift punches, knocking him off balance. He recovered quite easily, only to have his legs kicked out from underneath him. He fell to the floor, and rolled over, quick to stand back up. She was ready, and delivered four kicks in swift succession, knocking him against the wall.

"_I was not a scared little girl_!" she screamed as he pulled himself off the floor, muscles straining. "I fought like a _warrior._ I was forced to choose between two lackluster options, and instead, paved myself a third. You should admire my intelligence!" She swung at him again.

He caught it easily, and spun her around, trapping her within his arms, holding her rather roughly. "You ran. Away from me. Away from your father. You could not decide so you gave up, gave your body to anger, to hatred. You destroyed yourself because you could not make up your mind!"

Her body was shaking now, half in anger, half in revulsion. "Don't you pretend to know me." She hissed, bringing her foot down on his and her elbow in his side simultaneously. His grip loosen, she flipped out. "I am not some pathetic little girl, still in love with the man who left her to die. I am stronger."

"_I left you out to die?" _his voice was thunderous. "I fought to save you, to free you from the clutches of your maniacal father and his attempts to destroy the very world you lived in."

"You made me choice!" she hissed again, lurching himself forward. He managed to side step her, and pushing her along, she knocked herself into a stone wall. Turning quickly, Lythmore recognized that her forehead was gashed. The vessel within him shook to see her injured. "I made a choice," she continued. "And you let me be destroyed. You left me out to die."

"You sided with the people who wished to destroy the very thing I was working to preserve. I wanted you to fight along side me, to help protect the good in the world. Instead—"

"Instead, I rose above it!" she snapped, flipping over and delivering a kick, blocking his punch, and then returning a swift punch. "I chose the side that chose neither good nor evil. I chose the side that sought all encompassing knowledge—"

"You chose evil!" he spat, turning into a kick that landed in her stomach, followed by two sharp jabs. She hit the ground and took a long time getting back up. "You chose evil, pure and unadulterated. You chose evil and it destroyed you."

"No!" she hissed, spitting out blood. "_You_ destroyed me." She lunged at him again, throwing her weight fully into him, punching as hard as she could multiple times.

Her body had been weakened by his strength. Sensing this, Lythmore easily blocked, then returned with a solid kick, one that once again sent her flying back. He recognized the dull, resounding crack as she hit the pavement, her high pitched shrill yells of pain. She was too hurt to continue.

He slowly picked up his sword, and limped over to her, her eyes blazing with unabridged fury.

"You have failed." He said simply, extending his arm so that the tip of his glittering sword lingered over her heart. "Just as you failed before. Evil cannot triumph over good. It is a lesson I tried to teach you, but you would not listen."

"And when love pulls you in two different directions?" she hissed, her features contorted in pain but her eyes full of blazing acceptance. "When one is torn between the love of a father and her lover? What is she to do then?"

"Fight for what she believes in." he hissed, his hand starting to shake. The vessel within him screamed for an end to the fight, to hold the girl in his arms for one last time. A sickening feeling of nausea rose up within him.

"I believe in myself." She hissed, black eyes cold. "Everyone else betrayed me."

"I could not let you destroy the world." He whispered, the shaking increasing.

"And so you destroyed me?"

"You destroyed yourself. You destroyed yourself the second you turned away from me and looked towards your father."

"Then maybe it was up to you to save me." Her voice was suddenly broken, coming out in ragged pants. "Maybe I needed you to rescue me."

"I'm not going to fall for that, Lorvenia." He said again. "You questioned my love for you? Then perhaps you should remember history. I did fight to save you: from your father, from his forces, and then from yourself. But you would not see reason—you saw my actions as a betrayal. You sought to destroy everything."

"Because you destroyed everything I was." She hissed. "When I told you I still loved you, and you turned away from me because of my father. When I tried to flee to you, to warn you about my father's attacks and you cast me out." She spit out her words in bitter bursts, her entire body trembling.

"I couldn't trust you." Lythmore silently struggled to gain control of the sword, the vessel's emotions so intense that a tear leaked from the corner of his eye, spilling down a dirt-ridden, blood stained cheek. "For all I knew you were trying to trick us, to murder us."

"Then destroy me." She whispered, looking up at him. Lythmore knew immediately she would not fight. Maintaining her power had wearied the vessel's body, and the fight had drained her of her energy. She was not going to win this battle—she could not bring about the Armageddon. He had stopped her and she was going to willingly submit herself for death.

He looked at her heart, a small patch of exposed flesh above the line of her black shirt. These bodies were so very different from what theirs had been like, but her eyes were the same—glittering and black.

She had been so beautiful.

"What are you waiting for?" she cried maniacally, struggling against her injuries to pull herself up. "I concede! Destroy me!" she grabbed the sword, steadying the point against her heart. "Do it quickly!" she pleaded.

_I love her._ His vessel protested.

He dropped his sword, letting it clang down to the floor in a heap. In a split second, he grabbed her by the arms and pushed her up, balancing her against the wall. She cried out in both surprise and pain, staring at him with true fear.

"What are you doing?" she whispered, tears from an unknown source welling in her eyes.

"I cannot bear to destroy you." He whispered, anger leaving his body. And with a mind blazing with hope and desire, kissed her fiercely.

He forced his essence into the kiss, slowly exiting his vessel, spreading out the many golden molecules and wrapping it around her darker one.

He could not destroy her, but he would free her.

Slowly, quickly, connected through the mouths of their vessels, they rose, transcended their corporal form.

_Where are we going?_ Lorvenia's thoughts intertwined with his as they became one, their essences spiraling upwards in a colorful blaze.

_To salvation_. He responded. And, with a flash of light, they exited their vessels, their bodies thrown around the cave as if by an explosion.

* * *

Bleeding and broken, Jason realized with a great glee that they had won. 

All of them, Wrathian and monsters, screamed with a sudden jolt as a light came streaming across the desert, knocking out the black, overcast skies and replacing them with a hopeful blue one. Slowly, surely, each one evaporated, their battle cries replaced with tortured yells of a light about to be extinguished.

Within seconds, all that surrounded them was the wreckage of past battle. Running towards Kat, he could barely hear the screams of joy erupting from the mouths of his comrades in arms.

He found her, grabbed her, and kissed her. They were saved.

* * *

And in that moment, all was silent. 

It was over.

Muscles throbbing with exhaustion, Kimberly slowly raised herself off the cold, stone floor she had been thrown upon, her breath coming out in short, frantic pants. Outside, victorious yells filled the air as the last of the monsters evaporated. They had won—the city had been secured. They had been victorious.

She heard him cough, and lifted her head—fear mounting in her body. The things they had been through—how much could they handle? How could they survive after so many years of life or death, of dysfunction so great it had handicapped them all emotionally. There were no wars left for them to fight, no battles to distract them from the barrenness of their lives.

Could they ever be happy? Could he still love her?

Tears of pain stung her eyes, and she could only imagine what she looked like—her hair wildly out of place, dirt covered, a large gash in her forehead, bruised and scraped arms and hands, torn clothes.

She was a lifetime away from Angel Grove High, from the bubbly mallrat, from sweet evenings spent holding hands and gallivanting around the juice bar. And yet, here she was, wounded and broken, that same lifetime spent spiraling downward into a thick despair, tinged with regret: all because she could not stop loving him. Because she knew that life would be meaningless without him.

She raised her eyes slowly, seeking his large form, which was sprawled out some five feet away. He, too, was rising, his body weakened by the possession. She remained silent, her body paralyzed with fear. Could he possibly still love her?

Slowly, he lifted his face, his chocolate brown eyes full of seriousness.

"Kim? Are you okay?"

She nodded, tucking her legs underneath her, letting tears spill freely down her cheeks. "Yes," she whispered.

He slowly raised himself up, sliding himself towards her, noting her shaking form with a small sadness. He reached out to brush her face with his hand, finger tips gently brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face. Her eyes closed involuntarily at the touch, her skin tingling at the lightness of his skin against hers. She reopened her eyes to find Tommy's face inches from hers.

They stared at each other for moments that spanned enteritis, their breathing labored, all of the pain of their respective lives flashing before their eyes. It was over. _It was over_. All that they had left was each other.

And within a split second, they simultaneously reached for each other, limbs intertwining, both shaking. They collided effortlessly, each clinging to the other with a determined strength.

Tears streaming down her face, Kimberly's breath came out in ragged sobs, intermixed with muffled apologies as she pressed herself as close against Tommy as she possibly could get. He, in turn, rubbed her back, adjusting his arms to hold her tighter and tighter, silently vowing to never let her go again.

"Shhh," he muttered into her hair. "I have you. We're safe. It's all right."

Pulling back slightly, their eyes met again, this time with an identically fierce passion in each. Slowly, gently, each savoring the moment, they drifted towards one another, their pasts melting away as their lips gently touched. The kiss began gently, light brushes, and then slowly deepening, as every molecule in their bodies connected and began to warm with a desperate passion. They savored the taste, the exhilarating rush of heat writhing within their blood. Fingers intertwining, the shut out the world, each purring with delight as a warmness they had not felt in years slowly enveloped their hearts. Neither one had to think hard to identify the feeling; it was the very thing they had both spent their lives searching for.

_Home_.

Breaking the kiss, Tommy pulled her close against him, pressing her forehead against his. How had he lived this long without her?

"I love you," he whispered, kissing her gently.

"I love you, too," she muttered, and reaching up to gently cup his face, they lost themselves in one another, completely oblivious to the happy tears streaming down the faces of their beloved friends, who witnessed all this from the doorway.

Victory was theirs.

* * *

He leaned against the counter, shirtless and quite tanned, waiting on the two Mai Tai's he had ordered. A calypso breeze rustled gently through the palms as colorful floats littered the crystal blue waters of the turquoise sea, the white sand shining like diamonds under the hot, Caribbean sun. 

"Oh my Gosh!" a high pitched voice came from behind him. "You're Dr. Tommy Oliver!" He turned slightly, revealing a twenty-something student in a stars and stripes bikini.

"I am." He replied simply.

"I am a huge fan of yours! When I read about your archeological endeavors, particularly in the East Asia areas! You're…incredible!"

He smiled, eyes impassive under dark sunglasses. "Thank you," he replied, rather contented. "But I'm afraid those days are behind me."

"I know this is a little presumptuous of me," the girl said, shifting her weight and casually sticking out her chest. "But if you're not here with anybody, maybe you'd like to have dinner tonight? I'd love to hear more about your expeditions!"

A small smirk rose to his lips as the bartender returned with the drinks. "Actually," he said, unfolding a load of large bills and laying one on the counter, then redirecting his gaze to a lounge chair not too far away. "I'm here on my honeymoon."

The girl followed his eyes, seeking out a beautiful brunette, stretched happily out on a chair, sunning in a pale pink bikini. Seeing her cause as officially lost, she smiled and made a graceful exit.

"Congratulations!" she muttered, as she slunk down the bar to join a graying man who was wearing an expensive looking ring.

"Thank you," he said, his smile increasing. Grabbing the drinks, he happily strode over to his beautiful bride.

"Hello Mrs. Oliver," He said with a happy grin, kissing her deeply and handing her one of the drinks. "Did you miss me?"

"More than you'll ever know!" she replied happily, taking a sip. "I love a man that comes bearing fruity alcoholic beverages."

He laughed. "You're easy to please."

"Hey!" a voice called from behind him. "Could we get, just like, five minutes without one of you mentioning 'pleasure' of anyway shape or form. I made the mistake of having a room with an adjoining wall to yours. I know more than I'd like to."

"Well it serves you right, Jason!" Kimberly laughed, as Jason and Kat came into sight, hand in hand, back from a short walk around the beach. "Crashing our honeymoon!" She scooted forward on her chair, and motioned Tommy to sit with her.

"Please, you two would totally miss me." Jason said, settling into a chair near theirs. "Sitting by the beach all day? You'd be bored without us. What else would you do all day?"

Kimberly leaned back against Tommy, as they both gave identical smirks.

Jason paused, turning towards Kat. "I walked right into that one, didn't I?"

She crinkled her nose in laughter. "I'm afraid so."

"Speaking of interruptions, where are Trini and Zach?" Tommy asked, scanning the beach. "They disappeared a little while ago."

"Right here!" a frenzied voice called, and Trini appeared followed by a grinning Zach.

"And where have you tow been?" Kimberly grinned, eyebrows rising suggestively. Trini flushed, and attempted to fix her somewhat disheveled sarong, as Zach lowered himself quite contentedly into another lounge chair.

"Passing the time, perhaps?" Kat said sneakily, sitting down in a chair as well.

Trini flushed, but maintained a dignified posture. "I'll have you know I was speaking to Billy. He wanted me to tell you that the wedding was beautiful and he's sorry he couldn't be here. But, in other news, he wanted me to pass along the message that the headquarters for Space Patrol Delta Academy are coming along beautifully. Plus, they've already got a full list of recruits waiting to get in the training program. He sounded very excited."

"Hell!" Jason sad. "I'm ecstatic! This jobs a dream." He took a long sip of his drink. "I mean, all training and no combat? Letting future generations take care of the fighting? Monsters being regulated by a police force? Sheer genius! We should have thought of it earlier!"

"Yeah," Kimberly agreed. "Life's definitely going to be a lot easier on us from now on!" she smiled as Tommy kissed her neck.

She smiled, a looked around at her circle of friends, a new found emotion welling inside her. Everyone was relaxed, smiling.

For the first time, they were all happy.

"This is wonderful!" she sighed, leaning up to kiss Tommy again. His hands wrapped around her waist, and she smiled up at him.

"I haven't been to the beach in a long time," he admitted. "We used to go all the time."

"Yeah, but bad things always seemed to happen!" she reminded him. "Like Kat stealing my power coin—"

"I still feel badly about that by the way!" Kat interrupted.

Kimberly giggled. "And the time we took Hallie, Trini's neighbor, to the beach and got her kidnapped."

"Please don't remind me!" Trini said, waving her hands erratically. "That was the last babysitting job I ever got."

"Oh yeah!" Tommy said, laughing at the memory. "She was the one who talked about wanting to have a prince come and wake her up out of the deep sleep."

"You thought it was corny!" Kimberly said, nudging her elbow into his stomach.

"Hey!" Tommy said, pulling her close once again. "I changed my mind."

"Actually, I stand by his first statement." Zach said, adjusting his shades and leaning into the sun. "That was corny. And kind of makes me want to vomit."

And they sat back, laughing, enjoying the presence of one another: six warriors, who at the end of battle, let their scars heal as they settled back into the happily warm, lazy days of life.

_And,_ Kimberly thought, leaning against Tommy and closing her eyes, confident her days of wretched nightmares and lonely sobs were over. _After all: everyone loves happy endings. _

_

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_Author's Note:_

I can't believe this thing took an entire semester to complete! I really appreciate all those who have read and reviewed, and would really, really love to know what you all thought. I can't let you know how helpful the reviews were, and I really enjoyed writing this. Thank you again! _simultaneousrelease _


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